Julian Assange 'targeted as a political opponent of Trump administration and threatened with the death penalty'

A supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protests outside the Old Bailey
REUTERS

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been targeted as a “political opponent” of President Trump’s administration and threatened with the death penalty, the Old Bailey heard today.

Professor Paul Rogers, a lecturer in peace studies at Bradford University and specialist on the ‘War on Terror’, said Assange’s opinions put him “in the crosshairs” of Trump’s top team.

Giving evidence to Assange’s extradition hearing this morning, he said he believes the prosecution case is part of a drive in the United States to target “dissenters”.

“In my opinion Mr Assange’s expressed views, opinions and activities demonstrate very clearly ‘political opinions’”, he told the court.

“The clash of those opinions with those of successive US administrations, but in particular the present administration which has moved to prosecute him for publications made almost a decade ago, suggest that he is regarded primarily as a political opponent who must experience the full wrath of government, even with suggestions of punishment by death made by senior officials including the current President.”

A court sketch of Julian Assange
PA

Assange is wanted in the US over the mass leak in 2010 and 2011 of classified documents and military cables, which it is claimed amounted to spying and put people’s lives at risk.

In his defence, the 49-year-old insists he is being prosecuted for journalistic work and contests the claims that the leaks put anyone in peril.

Professor Rogers, in his witness statement, said Assange’s work involved exposing secrets that the US government wanted to keep hidden, he had been in conflict with the Obama administration, but there was “no question” that Assange had been targeted as a political opponent by Trump’s officials.

“The opinions and views of Mr Assange, demonstrated in his words and actions with the organisation WikiLeaks over many years, can be seen as very clearly placing him in the crosshairs of dispute with the philosophy of the Trump administration”, he said.

Assange’s legal team argue that a decision was taken under President Obama not to prosecute the Wikileaks activist, but that move was overturned under Trump.

“During the Obama presidency there was a greater recognition of the problems and less pressure on those presenting conflicting evidence”, said Professor Rogers.

“But since the election of President Trump there has been a vigorous denigration of the Obama era, a return to the outlook of the Bush administration and even more bitter opposition to those perceived as dissenters, especially those involved in communicating unwelcome information such as Mr Assange.”

Yesterday Assange was warned by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser that he could be excluded from the hearings following an outburst from the dock, in a warning not to interrupt proceedings.

Clive Stafford Smith, the founder of London-based charity Reprieve, told the court he believes the Wikileaks disclosures helped to expose war crimes and human rights abuses by the US.

He suggested the US is regularly guilty of “over-classifying” its sensitive material, sometimes to hide evidence of torture and killings which could be embarrassing to the country.

Professor Mark Feldstein, a US journalism lecturer, said he believes the prosecution of Assange is “rife with political motives” within President Donald Trump’s administration.

But he conceded that he did not think the leaks should have been published unredacted, to reveal names of informants whose lives it is alleged were put at risk.

The hearing continues.

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