WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (Associated Press)

Amid growing fears that the US administration will succeed in forcing the British judiciary to allow the deportation of the founder of WikiLeaks, investigative journalist Julian Assange, to the United States of America, Amnesty International's efforts continue until the last moment to nullify the implementation of this step.

The session, which will be held today and tomorrow in London, is considered the last opportunity given by the British judiciary to challenge the decision to deport Assange and subject him to an American trial, with a possible penalty of 175 years in prison, against the backdrop of his accusation of espionage and publishing secret American documents.

The chapters of Assange's trial are receiving great attention from human rights and media circles internationally, due to their symbolism and the fact that they represent a glimpse into the intentions of the major powers - led by the American administration - to silence the voices of investigative journalism, which seeks to reveal the shocking facts and crimes committed by governments against peoples.

Tyranny and duplicity

What Assange did beginning in 2010 represented a revolution in the world of journalism, through his publication of millions of documents that revealed extremely horrific files of financial corruption, and exposed the crimes committed by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan as an example.

The Assange case clearly reflects the tyranny of the American decision and the double standards in dealing with the principle of freedom of expression and investigative media work, as these slogans seem possible and impressive, as long as they relate to any file that concerns other countries, and does not come close to Washington’s secret policy, especially on the issue of wars, and undermining... Stability in some countries, fueling conflicts, creating coups, financial colonialism, and other crimes that humanity sees with the naked eye and which Assange has proven with official documents.

Ates Gulpinar, executive director of the German Left Party - who is considered one of those who rose up in support of Assange - wondered about the audacity of the American position in pursuing Assange, seeking revenge against him in the most horrific forms, and remaining completely silent about criminals and those who allowed them to commit crimes without fear of punishment, such as: Those soldiers who we saw in video and audio killing unarmed Iraqi citizens in cold blood?” he said.

Following in the footsteps of the German Left Party, many parties expressed their support for the campaign led by Amnesty International for years, as the Australian government appealed to the British judiciary to deport Assange to Australia, his country of origin, and the municipality of Rome granted Assange an honorary residence, in a symbolic step to express its solidarity, And many other positions from various human rights organizations and prominent political figures internationally.

Shocking information

Aside from the results of the session - and the details of the systematic injustice in the Assange case, through the US administration’s insistence on taking revenge on Assange as an idea for the bold journalist - it is important to present the developments of the case over the past years, and to learn about the reasons for his trial in the United Kingdom.

The WikiLeaks website - as we mentioned previously - witnessed unparalleled fame in 2010 with the publication of millions of secret documents of interest to many governments, most notably the United States of America, and sparked widespread controversy among international media circles.

The shocking information published has gained credibility with the public. Thanks to the site’s coordination with specialized teams from some prominent newspapers, such as the New York Times, The Guardian, El Pais, and Le Monde, in the auditing of the published material.

It happened that Assange was in the United Kingdom in 2012, when the Swedish judiciary issued a European arrest warrant against him, against the backdrop of his involvement in four alleged “rape” cases.

In April of the same year, Assange launched his talk show on the Russia Today channel, which he began with a remote meeting with the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and another meeting with the president of Ecuador at the time, the leftist leader Rafael Correa.

However, his television experience was not complete; Because the Supreme Court in London moved immediately and issued an effective order to deport him to Sweden. All he had to do was go to the headquarters of the Ecuadorian embassy in London to request political asylum. President Correa and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ricardo Patiño, responded by granting him asylum in the hope of successfully appealing the rulings issued against Assange by the Swedish, British, and then American judiciary.

spoils and offerings

Assange’s stay at the headquarters of the Ecuadorian mission in London was characterized by circumstances that gave him the status of “pampered.” From the summer of 2012 until the summer of 2017, the mission’s headquarters was a destination for the most prominent media and human rights names. He enjoyed practicing his work and hobbies with complete ease, and he even had children with his lawyer, Stella Morris Assange. Two children while living there.

However, the political developments that Ecuador experienced after the end of Correa's second term in 2017, shook Assange's dreams and threatened his security. Whereas former President Correa nominated his vice president, Lenin Moreno, to succeed him in the position, and he won thanks to the support of the popular support of their two parties.

But Moreno, the elected president at the time, turned against his predecessor very quickly, and the matter ended with Correa’s exclusion and judicial liquidation in a way that deprived him of his political rights and even his return to his country, which he left in 2017, and lives to this day as a refugee in Belgium.

As for the Assange file, it represented a spoils for former President Moreno, as a sacrifice to Washington in order to get closer to the American administration. With the aim of ensuring the latter’s safety and freedom during and after his assumption of the presidency, just like those before him.

Assange was effectively sacrificed in April 2019, when then-president Lenin Moreno declared that Assange had been stripped of the right to asylum at the mission’s headquarters. Because the latter violated the terms of the agreement between the two sides, according to his allegations.

Thus, the British authorities took Assange out of the headquarters of the Ecuadorian mission in London and took him to a high-security prison on the outskirts of the British capital.

Bitter enemy

But now, when more than ten years have passed since the decision to respond to the American judiciary’s request seeking a decision to deport Assange there has been postponed, and opportunities for appeal have been exhausted, the nightmare of silencing him forever and taking judicial retaliation against him seems an imminent reality.

As for the most painful truth, it is the message that the United States wants to convey to the field of journalism in general, according to Spanish writer Soledad Diaz, who said in her article in El Pais newspaper last Sunday: “With this decision, we will not dream that press pens will reveal - in the future - Israel’s crimes.” Which is currently taking place before the eyes of the world, because these regimes will pursue every journalist who seeks to expose their crimes.”

She asked in angry language about the fact that Israel deliberately targeted press teams with missiles marching towards them, and killed them every day in plain sight, to reaffirm that spreading the truth is the arch enemy of criminal governments.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.