Courage Trustee Renata Avila:
Ecuador’s decision to grant nationality to Julian Assange is a welcome step, but we’re still a long way from resolving this situation. In the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency, we’ve seen the US rhetoric against First Amendment activity, and the threats of prosecution, reach new, dangerous heights. When the Director of the CIA uses his inaugural speech to declare a publisher’s arrest a “priority”, we should all take seriously the threat posed to press freedoms in America. With alleged NSA whistleblower Reality Winner’s Espionage case coming to trial in March and dozens of leak investigations underway, it is clear that the Trump Administration will only intensify the war on whistleblowers and the journalism they make possible.