SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden depicted in this street graffiti. (Photo: Lord Jim/flickr/cc)
Following confirmation that the U.S. Department of Justice does have a sealed complaint against Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange--seemingly based on his work exposing the classified secrets of high-level U.S. government institutions and officials--NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on Friday afternoon spoke out against any arrest or prosecution of the journalist, saying that one "cannot support the prosecution of a publisher for publishing without narrowing the basic rights every newspaper relies on."
Snowden's comments echoed those of other defenders of press freedoms, but carries special weight as someone, like Assange, who has sacrificed his freedom in the name of exposing the secrets of the world's powerful.
Acknowledging that many people have come to "despise" Assange over the years for a variety of reasons, Snowden declared: "If you would deny a thing to your enemy, it is not a right. What do you stand for?"
\u201cIf you would deny a thing to your enemy, it is not a right. What do you stand for?\u201d— Edward Snowden (@Edward Snowden) 1542398041
In a statement by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, where Snowden serves as board president, the group said that prosecuting Assange for the publishing activities of Wikileaks would be a "profound and incredibly dangerous threat" to press freedoms and journalism around the world.
"Whether you like Assange or hate him, the theories used in a potential Espionage Act prosecution would threaten countless reporters at the New York Times, Washington Post, and the many other news outlets that report on government secrets all the time," said Trevor Timm, FTPF's executive director. "While everyone will have to wait and see what the charges detail, it's quite possible core First Amendment principles will be at stake in this case."
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Following confirmation that the U.S. Department of Justice does have a sealed complaint against Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange--seemingly based on his work exposing the classified secrets of high-level U.S. government institutions and officials--NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on Friday afternoon spoke out against any arrest or prosecution of the journalist, saying that one "cannot support the prosecution of a publisher for publishing without narrowing the basic rights every newspaper relies on."
Snowden's comments echoed those of other defenders of press freedoms, but carries special weight as someone, like Assange, who has sacrificed his freedom in the name of exposing the secrets of the world's powerful.
Acknowledging that many people have come to "despise" Assange over the years for a variety of reasons, Snowden declared: "If you would deny a thing to your enemy, it is not a right. What do you stand for?"
\u201cIf you would deny a thing to your enemy, it is not a right. What do you stand for?\u201d— Edward Snowden (@Edward Snowden) 1542398041
In a statement by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, where Snowden serves as board president, the group said that prosecuting Assange for the publishing activities of Wikileaks would be a "profound and incredibly dangerous threat" to press freedoms and journalism around the world.
"Whether you like Assange or hate him, the theories used in a potential Espionage Act prosecution would threaten countless reporters at the New York Times, Washington Post, and the many other news outlets that report on government secrets all the time," said Trevor Timm, FTPF's executive director. "While everyone will have to wait and see what the charges detail, it's quite possible core First Amendment principles will be at stake in this case."
Following confirmation that the U.S. Department of Justice does have a sealed complaint against Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange--seemingly based on his work exposing the classified secrets of high-level U.S. government institutions and officials--NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on Friday afternoon spoke out against any arrest or prosecution of the journalist, saying that one "cannot support the prosecution of a publisher for publishing without narrowing the basic rights every newspaper relies on."
Snowden's comments echoed those of other defenders of press freedoms, but carries special weight as someone, like Assange, who has sacrificed his freedom in the name of exposing the secrets of the world's powerful.
Acknowledging that many people have come to "despise" Assange over the years for a variety of reasons, Snowden declared: "If you would deny a thing to your enemy, it is not a right. What do you stand for?"
\u201cIf you would deny a thing to your enemy, it is not a right. What do you stand for?\u201d— Edward Snowden (@Edward Snowden) 1542398041
In a statement by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, where Snowden serves as board president, the group said that prosecuting Assange for the publishing activities of Wikileaks would be a "profound and incredibly dangerous threat" to press freedoms and journalism around the world.
"Whether you like Assange or hate him, the theories used in a potential Espionage Act prosecution would threaten countless reporters at the New York Times, Washington Post, and the many other news outlets that report on government secrets all the time," said Trevor Timm, FTPF's executive director. "While everyone will have to wait and see what the charges detail, it's quite possible core First Amendment principles will be at stake in this case."