A project of the Courage Foundation, the Assange Defense Committee is a national coalition which fought to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Comprising human rights defenders, press freedom advocates, civil liberties lawyers, and supporters across the United States, Assange Defense organized public rallies, provides essential resources, and raises awareness about the unprecedented prosecution against Julian Assange and the threat it posed to the freedom of the press around the world.
In supporting journalists’ right to publish, the Assange Defense Committee upholds the public’s right to know what its government is doing in its name.
Since its inception, the Committee has advocated for Julian Assange’s immediate release, charges to be dropped, safe passage to the secure location of his choosing, and compensation for the psychological torture and arbitrary detention he has endured.
For all the latest Assange news, including extradition hearing coverage, past campaign events, and Assange Defense press releases check out AssangeDefense.org/News
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VIDEO: Gabriel Shipton on MSNBC, says Biden should pardon Assange to protect press freedomAssange’s brother speaks to Ayman about what a pardon would mean for Julian personally and for press freedom more broadly
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“Journalists must be activists for the truth” — Julian Assange testifies before the Council of EuropeAddressing 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.
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Assange to address Council of Europe human rights hearingOn 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.
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A global movement freed AssangeWe carried out just about every action we could think of as we tried to spread the word and communicate the importance of this case. We rallied in the streets, hosted panel discussions, called our representatives, wrote op-eds, shared blog posts, produced videos, created artworks — if there’s a method to communicate, you can bet an Assange activist used it to shout loud and clear, ‘Free Assange!’
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Julian’s freedom: reactions around the worldJulian has reached a plea deal for time served and has been released from Belmarsh Prison on June 24, 2024, after 1901 days unjustly detained (and a dozen years persecuted) for his journalism. He flew to Bangkok and then to Saipan Island, a U.S. overseas territory, where a hearing to formalize the plea deal took place, finally landing in Canberra, in the evening of June 26.
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Julian’s releaseUpon his release from Belmarsh prison on June 24th, following a plea deal agreement with the US government, Julian Assange boarded a plane to Bangkok and then to Saipan Island, a US overseas territory, where a hearing to formalize the plea deal took place.
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Julian Assange is free!!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.
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Assange-Pak NFT raises over $40 million ahead of auction todayThe much-anticipated auction of NFT collection ‘Censored’, a collaboration between political prisoner Julian Assange and renowned artist Pak will launch today, the same day set by the UK Supreme Court for Julian Assange to file his application to appeal against US extradition.
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‘Censored’: Record-breaking artist Pak joins forces with Assange to make NFT historyThe art collection titled ‘Censored’ will be unveiled shortly in time for the auction on February 7th. ‘Censored’ is shrouded in mystery and is set to make NFT history.
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Press freedom groups call on Biden DOJ to drop Assange charges“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.”
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Julian Assange Deserves a Nobel Peace PrizeJulian Assange has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. We think he deserves to win. There is an incredibly long list of actions that Julian has taken toward a more peaceful world. As Julian has said, “If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth.” You can make a difference by then encouraging someone who meets the Nobel Committee’s criteria to submit a formal nomination today.
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Defend Media Freedom: Julian Assange on #HumanRightsDayToday, 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.
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World Press Freedom Day: The Prosecution of Julian AssangeVideo: 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.
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WikiLeaks WebinarsAs coronavirus containment measures preclude in-person gathering, public campaigning has moved online in a series of webinars focusing on different aspects of WikiLeaks’ impact and Julian Assange’s case
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1 Year Since Julian Assange’s ArrestWebinar featuring Daniel Ellsberg, Marjorie Cohn, Chris Hedges, and Aaron Maté, hosted by the Courage Foundation
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Julian Assange’s Extradition HearingThe Courage Foundation’s daily coverage of Julian Assange’s extradition hearing in London
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Extradition Background: USA v Julian AssangeA case overview with recommended reading, essential background, commentators, FAQs about the case and directions to Woolwich Crown Court
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Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize“We feel that Assange, Manning and Snowden have to be recognized for their ‘unprecedented contributions to the pursuit of peace and their immense personal sacrifices to promote peace for all’. With the unveiling of US war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq and the global surveillance program of the US secret services, the three have ‘exposed the architecture of war and strengthened the architecture of peace.'”
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Upcoming Events for Julian AssangeSee here for detailed information on upcoming events in defence of Julian Assange and WIkiLeaks around the world. Get in touch to add your event at courage.contact@couragefound.org
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VIDEO: The Prosecution of Julian Assange and Its Impact on the Freedom of the PressOn 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.
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Mexican President Calls for Assange’s FreedomAt a press conference in Mexico City early this year, Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador called for imprisoned Wikileaks journalist Julian Assange to be “pardoned and freed.” President Obrador also called for an end to the “torture” of Assange.
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Assange’s Defense Outlines Extradition ArgumentsAssange’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.
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Bail sentence ends: UK now holding Assange solely on US’ behalfOn 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.
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Julian Assange wins Compassion in Care’s 2019 Gavin MacFadyen Award for Whistleblowers“We are giving this year’s award to a man who has the courage to publish the truth and has sacrificed so much as a result.” The award will be presented on September 28th in front of Belmarsh prison in London where Julian Assange is incarcerated.
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DNC lawsuit against WikiLeaks dismissed in major free press victoryIn a historic win for WikiLeaks and its editor-in-chief Julian Assange a federal judge in New York dismissed a lawsuit by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over WikiLeaks’ publication of DNC documents in 2016. The case sets an important precedent for freedom of the press.
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UN Rapporteur on Torture’s Letters to UK, Ecuador, US and SwedenUN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer visited Julian Assange at HMP Belmarsh on 9 May 2019, and has written letters to the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Ecuador and Sweden to express that he is “gravely concerned” about Assange’s treatment and to urge the latter three governments to ensure Assange is not extradited to the United States.
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We Are Millions: #FreeAssangeCourage announces We Are Millions, a massive photo campaign to demonstrate global support for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange as he fights extradition to the United States, where he would face unprecedented prosecution
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Julian Assange receives 4th Annual DANNY Award for JournalismThe DANNY is “awarded annually to an individual who best emulates [Daniel] Schechter’s practice of combining excellent journalism with social advocacy and activism.”
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Julian Assange extradition hearing recapAt 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.
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Academics, human rights activists, lawyers: Free Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning now“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.”
- WikiLeaks & Chelsea Manning’s 2010 Disclosures
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Isolated, Surveilled, Expelled: How Ecuador Betrayed Julian AssangeEcuadorian President Lenin Moreno gradually ratcheted up restrictions, surveillance, and threats on Julian Assange over the course of his presidential term to build a pretext for ultimately revoking asylum and inviting British police into Ecuador’s embassy.
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Timeline: Julian Assange’s Expulsion & ArrestMajor events leading to Julian Assange’s expulsion from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, starting even before new Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno took office.
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Media analysis of Julian Assange’s superseding indictmentIn-depth looks at the specific charges, the history of the Espionage Act, the precedent a conviction would set, and more
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UN Torture Expert: “collective persecution” of Julian Assange must end now“Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.”
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Write to your MP: Protect Julian AssangeIf you’re in the UK, your role in helping Julian Assange is crucial. Write to your MP to let them know that you oppose onward extradition and that Assange’s legal rights must be protected
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Julian Assange writes a letter from Belmarsh prison“The days when I could read and speak and organize to defend myself, my ideals, and my people are over until I am free! Everyone else must take my place.”
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Sydney Peace Prize laureates urge Australian government to protect Julian Assange“Break the official Australian silence. Stop Julian Assange’s extradition to almost certain long-term imprisonment. Secure his rightful freedom. The Australian Government must intervene now. We call on the civilized world to uphold the true values of peace with justice and to stand up for Julian Assange.”
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Julian Assange charged under Espionage Act in unprecedented attack on First AmendmentToday 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.
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Ecuador to hand over Assange’s entire legal defense to the United StatesThree weeks before the U.S. deadline to file its final extradition request for Assange, Ecuadorian officials are travelling to London to allow U.S. prosecutors to help themselves to Assange’s belongings.
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Julian Assange’s extradition hearings beginAssange: “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.”
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Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for seeking asylumThe judge rejected all of the defence’s arguments, dismissed the UN’s ruling that Assange’s detention was arbitrary, and sentenced Assange to nearly the maximum possible sentence allowed
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Edward Snowden on Julian Assange’s arrest and indictment“Why is it that journalists are being held to a higher standard of behavior than the President of the United States?”
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US DOJ likely to bring more charges against AssangeThe charge against Assange already threatens journalistic activity. More (& even more disturbing) charges are widely expected
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Declaración de la Asociación Americana de Juristas sobre el arresto de Julián Assange“la AAJ llama a la libertad de Julián Assange; reclama al Reino Unido el respeto de todos los derechos de Assange y a denegar la solicitud de su extradición a los Estados Unidos y llama a las organizaciones de juristas a pronunciarse en el mismo sentido.”
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Julian Assange awarded 2019 Galizia Prize for Journalists, Whistleblowers & Defenders of the Right to InformationWikileaks founder Julian Assange, Nestlé whistleblower Yasmine Motarjemi and Football Leaks’ Rui Pinto have been jointly awarded for the second annual GUE/NGL prize for ‘Journalists, Whistleblowers and Defenders of the Right to Information.’ Watch video of the award ceremony, in which Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire accepted the prize on Julian’s behalf
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Civil society orgs condemn the arrest of Julian AssangeInternational press freedom groups, news outlets, UN representatives, politicians and public figures are speaking out against Julian Assange’s arrest and its implications
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The Assange Arrest is a Warning from HistoryJohn Pilger: “Real journalism is being criminalised by thugs in plain sight. Dissent has become an indulgence.”
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Emergency: Julian Assange has been arrestedEcuador has unlawfully terminated Julian Assange’s asylum, inviting British police into the Embassy to arrest the publisher. See developments, legal documents, reactions and how to help here
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Courage nominates Julian Assange for the 2019 GUE/NGL AwardSee Courage’s full nomination for the Award for Journalists, Whistleblowers & Defenders of the Right to Information
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The Guardian publishes fabricated claims of Paul Manafort visiting AssangeThe Embassy’s visitor logs – maintained by Ecuador – show no such visits, since they did not occur. Paul Manafort and Assange have both issued statements unequivocally denying the alleged visits. WikiLeaks is fundraising to sue the Guardian for libel
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US has charged Julian Assange: reactions and coverage“Any charges brought against WikiLeaks for their publishing activities pose a profound and incredibly dangerous threat to press freedom.”
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Protection Action: Ecuadorian HearingThe forced, arbitrary incommunication imposed on Julian Assange for seven months was the subject of a protective action measure before a court in Quito on 25 and 29 October 2018
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Liveblog: Julian Assange in jeopardyJulian Assange’s has been arrested and faces extradition charges to the United States; see here for ongoing legal, political and other developments
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John Pilger: Justice and freedom for Julian Assange mean free speech for us allThe Courage Foundation announces an urgent campaign to support Julian Assange and demand his freedom. Keep an eye on our live blog for updates.
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Assange’s protection from US extradition “in jeopardy”Without the protection of the Ecuadorian government, Assange could be open to an extradition request from the United States, which has been investigating WikiLeaks since 2010 and which has threatened to bring unprecedented charges for publishing
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Fourth open letter to #ReconnectJulian published in NorwayJulian Assange has been without internet access for two weeks; now four open letters have been published calling on Ecuador to reconnect his access, and more than 55,000 have signed a petition in support
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Video: Vivienne Westwood calls on Ecuador to continue protecting Julian AssangeWarning that “If Julian steps outside the Embassy the UK will arrest him,” Westwood says, “I appeal to the people of Ecuador to continue to protect Julian.”
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Ex-CIA and Intelligence Officers Appeal to Ecuador in Support of AssangeCIA whistleblower and Courage Advisory Board member John Kiriakou hand-delivers letter to the Ecuadorian embassy in Washington DC
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338 intellectuals from 33 countries join call to #ReconnectJulianA Spanish-language open letter, signed by 338 intellectuals from 38 countries, calls on Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno to end the isolation of Julian Assange
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Open letter: The isolation of Julian Assange must endLeading intellectuals and artists call on the government of Ecuador to allow Julian Assange his right of freedom of speech and #ReconnectJulian
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Ecuador suspends Julian Assange’s internet access, denies visitorsThe Ecuadorian government says that the suspension is the result of Assange breaking a late 2017 agreement “not to issue messages that supposed an interference in relation to other States.” Sign a petition to end Assange’s isolation
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Confinement by proxy: the UK continues arbitrary confinement of journalist as threats from US prosecution escalateThe battle for Julian Assange’s freedom continues as a judge has ruled his confinement has been proportionate and in the public interest
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UK panel to rule on FOIA requests in Assange caseStefania Maurizi tells a UK tribunal why the public needs to see the deleted emails, and the redactions
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WikiLeaks is Courage’s newest beneficiaryTrustee John Pilger: this is a campaign about “a principle of freedom so fundamental that its defeat would mean the conquest of all of us.”
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Snowden-Manning-Assange sculpture Anything To Say? moves to GenevaPublic Artwork for Freedom will be on the Place des Nations from 14 to 18 September, before moving on to Paris