Espionage Act

The U.S. Espionage Act of 1917 is the preeminent weapon against truthtellers in the modern era. The World War I law, concocted by Woodrow Wilson to penalize spies, has been used to cast whistleblowers, leakers, and even journalists as agents of espionage.

The Espionage Act carries 10 years in prison for each count and allows for no public interest defense. It’s been used against Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, NSA whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Thomas Drake, Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning, Air Force whistleblower Daniel Hale, CIA whistleblowers Jeffrey Sterling and John Kiriakou, and WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, among many others.

It’s long past time to end the abusive use of the Act to silence dissent and investigative journalism. Courage supports legislative efforts to repeal the Act or reform it to ensure it cannot be used against journalists, whistleblowers, or any other truthtellers exposing crimes, corruption, and wrongdoing in the public interest.

Latest posts about the Espionage Act:

• “Journalists must be activists for the truth” — Julian Assange testifies before the Council of EuropeOctober 10, 2024
  Addressing the public for the first time since before his arrest in 2019, Julian Assange spoke today before the Legal and Human Rights Committee of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly about his prosecution, detention and imprisonment.
• Assange to address Council of Europe human rights hearingSeptember 26, 2024
  On Tuesday, October 1, Julian Assange will give testimony before the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, ahead of a full plenary debate on this topic the following day. The hearing, which is open to the press, will be livestreamed.
• Julian Assange is free!!June 25, 2024
  Julian Assange has been released from Belmarsh maximum security prison on the morning of 24 June, after having spent 1901 days there. He was granted bail by the High Court in London and was released at Stansted airport during the afternoon, where he boarded a plane and departed the UK.
• Press freedom groups call on Biden DOJ to drop Assange chargesFebruary 8, 2021
  “We urge you to drop the appeal of the decision by Judge Vanessa Baraitser of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court to reject the Trump administration’s extradition request. We also urge you to dismiss the underlying indictment.”
• Defend Media Freedom: Julian Assange on #HumanRightsDayDecember 11, 2020
  Today, International Human Rights Day, the Courage Foundation partnered with a coalition of European press freedom groups to publish an advertisement in The Times to spread awareness about and condemn Julian Assange’s persecution and prosecution.
• World Press Freedom Day: The Prosecution of Julian AssangeMay 3, 2020
  Video: On World Press Freedom Day, two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and the UK Bureau Director for Reporters without Borders discuss the Trump administration’s indictment of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange and its unprecedented charges of Espionage for the publication of truthful information in the public interest.
• 1 Year Since Julian Assange’s ArrestApril 12, 2020
  Webinar featuring Daniel Ellsberg, Marjorie Cohn, Chris Hedges, and Aaron Maté, hosted by the Courage Foundation
• Julian Assange’s Extradition HearingMarch 1, 2020
  The Courage Foundation’s daily coverage of Julian Assange’s extradition hearing in London
• Extradition Background: USA v Julian AssangeFebruary 23, 2020
  A case overview with recommended reading, essential background, commentators, FAQs about the case and directions to Woolwich Crown Court
• VIDEO: The Prosecution of Julian Assange and Its Impact on the Freedom of the PressFebruary 3, 2020
  On 30 January 2020, at the National Press Club’s First Amendment Lounge in Washington D.C., a panel of experts discussed the Trump Administration’s indictment of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange and the impact Assange’s extradition and prosecution could have on the freedom of the press.
• Assange’s Defense Outlines Extradition ArgumentsDecember 19, 2019
  Assange’s defense team outlined the main arguments it will make and witnesses it will call at the full hearing in February. Lawyers announced they will argue that the US-UK Extradition Treaty should not allow Assange’s extradition because it includes an exemption for political offenses.
• Bail sentence ends: UK now holding Assange solely on US’ behalfSeptember 26, 2019
  On 22 September 2019, Julian Assange’s sentence for a bail violation conviction ended, but he was not released from HMP Belmarsh. Beginning today, 23 September, the United Kingdom is detaining Julian solely on behalf of the United States, which requests his extradition and has charged him with 18 counts carrying 175 years in prison for publishing information in the public interest.
• Julian Assange extradition hearing recapJune 14, 2019
  At Julian Assange’s extradition hearing today at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, which Assange attended via videolink from HMP Belmarsh, the full substantive proceedings were scheduled for five days in February 2020.
• Academics, human rights activists, lawyers: Free Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning nowJune 12, 2019
  “As scholars and citizens concerned with the protection of whistleblowers and a free press, with the ability to hold government to account for such abuses we call for the immediate release of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning from prison.”
• Media analysis of Julian Assange’s superseding indictmentJune 5, 2019
  In-depth looks at the specific charges, the history of the Espionage Act, the precedent a conviction would set, and more
• Julian Assange charged under Espionage Act in unprecedented attack on First AmendmentMay 23, 2019
  Today federal prosecutors unsealed a new, 18-count superseding indictment charging Julian Assange with violating the Espionage Act, the first use of the 1917 law against a publisher.
• Julian Assange’s extradition hearings beginMay 2, 2019
  Assange: “I won’t surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that has won many awards and protected many people.” Kristinn Hrafnsson: “The fight has just begun. It will be a long one and a hard one.”
• US DOJ likely to bring more charges against AssangeApril 17, 2019
  The charge against Assange already threatens journalistic activity. More (& even more disturbing) charges are widely expected
• Stephen Kim explains what it’s like to be charged under the Espionage ActFebruary 20, 2015
  The Intercept sheds light on what Stephen Kim endured as he faced Espionage Act charges for speaking to Fox News reporter James Rosen, with an in-depth report and video interviews
• Jeffrey Sterling convicted of espionage on circumstantial evidenceJanuary 27, 2015
  Government lawyers used a few brief phone calls and a deleted email to prosecute the former CIA official for espionage for allegedly disclosing classified information; convicted of 9 counts, Sterling’s sentencing case is scheduled for 24 April