In a letter, published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, called on UK Home Secretary Priti Patel not to extradite Julian Assange.
Writing in view of the impending decision on Mr Assange’s extradition, the Commissioner noted that the wider human rights implications of doing so had not yet been adequately considered in the extradition proceedings. She particularly highlighted that the indictment by the United States against Mr Assange raised important questions about the protection of those that publish classified information in the public interest, including information that exposes human rights violations. She concluded that allowing Mr Assange’s extradition on this basis would have a chilling effect on media freedom, and could ultimately hamper the press in performing its task as purveyor of information and public watchdog in democratic societies.
- Read the Commissioner’s letter to the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom
- Read the Commissioner's earlier statement dated 20 February 2020: "Julian Assange should not be extradited due to potential impact on press freedom and concerns about ill-treatment"
- Read the reply of the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom