35 parliamentarians have signed a letter to the US Attorney General calling for the extradition proceedings against Julian Assange to be stopped on the fourth anniversary of his detention in Belmarsh prison.
Richard Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds East, was the organiser of the letter, which is supported by MPs and members of the House of Lords from six parties.
They are calling on Merrick Garland to drop the case, which dates back to the administration of former US President Donald Trump and allegedly relates to Assange’s “role as a journalist and publisher in publishing evidence of war crimes, corruption and human rights violations”.
Assange is in custody pending trial as he challenges the Supreme Court’s decision to extradite him to the United States for leaking military documents.
Mr Burgon said: “British parliamentarians are increasingly concerned about the possible extradition of Julian Assange to the United States.
“Any extradition would effectively be an indictment of press freedom. It would set a dangerous precedent for journalists and publishers around the world.”
“Four years after Julian Assange was first detained in Belmarsh maximum security prison, it is time to put an end to this outrageous Trump administration action, drop the charges against Julian Assange and allow him to return to Australia.”
The signatories include Conservative MP David Davis, Caroline Lucas of the Green Party, Jeremy Corbyn, Angus MacNeil of the Scottish National Party and Liz Saville-Roberts of Plaid Cymru.
The letter states: “If Mr Assange is extradited to the United States, he faces a prison sentence of up to 175 years for his journalistic work in the United Kingdom and in partnership with leading global news organizations.
“This would clearly have a chilling effect on journalism and would set a dangerous precedent for other journalists and media outlets. It would also undermine the United States’ reputation for freedom of expression and the rule of law.”
