An open letter condemns the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom for setting a "dangerous precedent that undermines the United Nations Human Rights system as a whole."
(Photo: Elekh/ CC-BY-SA)
Mar 01, 2016
More than 500 high-profile activists, Nobel Peace Prize winners, academics, artists, and human rights organizations released an open letter on Tuesday accusing Sweden and the United Kingdom of undermining the United Nations by continuing their "arbitrary detention" of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
The letter was delivered to the Swedish and UK permanent representatives at Tuesday's convening of the 31st United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva. It was published in response to a ruling issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention last month that Assange had been arbitrarily detained for more than three years and should be freed and compensated.
UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond dismissed those findings as "ridiculous" and "flawed," while a number of senior British attorneys argued that the UN report was "not binding on the UK courts," the Guardianreports.
Despite the ruling, Assange remains at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
The letter, which was posted on the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) website, condemned the reactions of the UK and Swedish governments, charging that they "are setting a dangerous precedent that undermines the United Nations Human Rights system as a whole."
The signatories, who hail from 60 countries, include more than 100 human and legal rights organizations, four Nobel Peace Prize winners, activists such as Naomi Klein and Arundhati Roy, the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, 25 freedom of expression organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and The Freedom of the Press Foundation, and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who last month launched DiEM25, a pan-European progressive movement.
"We urge Sweden and the United Kingdom to respect the binding nature of the human rights covenants on which the decision is based, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the independence, integrity, and authority of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention," the letter states. "We, therefore, call on the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom to comply without further delay with the Working Group's findings and 'ensure the right of free movement of Mr. Assange and accord him an enforceable right to compensation, in accordance with article 9(5) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.'"
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
arundhati roybarcelonadiem25electronic frontier foundationgenevajulian assangenaomi kleinnobel laureatesnobel peace prizereporters without bordersswedenun human rights councilunited kingdomunited nationswikileaksyanis varoufakis
More than 500 high-profile activists, Nobel Peace Prize winners, academics, artists, and human rights organizations released an open letter on Tuesday accusing Sweden and the United Kingdom of undermining the United Nations by continuing their "arbitrary detention" of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
The letter was delivered to the Swedish and UK permanent representatives at Tuesday's convening of the 31st United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva. It was published in response to a ruling issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention last month that Assange had been arbitrarily detained for more than three years and should be freed and compensated.
UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond dismissed those findings as "ridiculous" and "flawed," while a number of senior British attorneys argued that the UN report was "not binding on the UK courts," the Guardianreports.
Despite the ruling, Assange remains at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
The letter, which was posted on the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) website, condemned the reactions of the UK and Swedish governments, charging that they "are setting a dangerous precedent that undermines the United Nations Human Rights system as a whole."
The signatories, who hail from 60 countries, include more than 100 human and legal rights organizations, four Nobel Peace Prize winners, activists such as Naomi Klein and Arundhati Roy, the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, 25 freedom of expression organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and The Freedom of the Press Foundation, and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who last month launched DiEM25, a pan-European progressive movement.
"We urge Sweden and the United Kingdom to respect the binding nature of the human rights covenants on which the decision is based, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the independence, integrity, and authority of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention," the letter states. "We, therefore, call on the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom to comply without further delay with the Working Group's findings and 'ensure the right of free movement of Mr. Assange and accord him an enforceable right to compensation, in accordance with article 9(5) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.'"
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
More than 500 high-profile activists, Nobel Peace Prize winners, academics, artists, and human rights organizations released an open letter on Tuesday accusing Sweden and the United Kingdom of undermining the United Nations by continuing their "arbitrary detention" of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
The letter was delivered to the Swedish and UK permanent representatives at Tuesday's convening of the 31st United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva. It was published in response to a ruling issued by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention last month that Assange had been arbitrarily detained for more than three years and should be freed and compensated.
UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond dismissed those findings as "ridiculous" and "flawed," while a number of senior British attorneys argued that the UN report was "not binding on the UK courts," the Guardianreports.
Despite the ruling, Assange remains at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
The letter, which was posted on the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) website, condemned the reactions of the UK and Swedish governments, charging that they "are setting a dangerous precedent that undermines the United Nations Human Rights system as a whole."
The signatories, who hail from 60 countries, include more than 100 human and legal rights organizations, four Nobel Peace Prize winners, activists such as Naomi Klein and Arundhati Roy, the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, 25 freedom of expression organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and The Freedom of the Press Foundation, and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who last month launched DiEM25, a pan-European progressive movement.
"We urge Sweden and the United Kingdom to respect the binding nature of the human rights covenants on which the decision is based, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the independence, integrity, and authority of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention," the letter states. "We, therefore, call on the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom to comply without further delay with the Working Group's findings and 'ensure the right of free movement of Mr. Assange and accord him an enforceable right to compensation, in accordance with article 9(5) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.'"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.