By Ben Kerrigan-
A group of prominent MPs is calling for a thorough inquiry into the role of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in the protracted legal saga of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
This comes amidst mounting concerns over the implications of his potential extradition to the United States on press freedom and journalistic practices.
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The demand for an inquiry has been formalized in a letter addressed to the chairman of the Justice Select Committee. The letter highlights new evidence suggesting that the CPS may have overstepped its role in its involvement with Swedish authorities during their investigation into allegations against Assange.
The signatories of the letter include Labour MP John McDonnell, Conservative MP David Davis, Green MP Caroline Lucas, and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Assange, an Australian-born journalist, has been held in Belmarsh prison in London for several years as he fights extradition to the United States.
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He faces a potential sentence of up to 175 years in prison if convicted of charges related to the publication of classified documents that exposed war crimes, torture, and extrajudicial killings by drones.
The letter highlights the central role the CPS has played over the past 14 years, first in the extradition request from Sweden and now in the ongoing legal battle concerning the U.S. extradition request.
It seeks to question the CPS’s motivations and actions, suggesting that it may have been influenced by the desire to facilitate Assange’s extradition to the United States.
“As you will know, for the last 14 years the Crown Prosecution Service has been the key public authority in the UK in the Julian Assange case, first in the extradition request concerning the Swedish case and now in the request for extradition to the United States,” the letter states.
It continues: “The evidence that has come to light opens the CPS to allegations that it misjudged, or possibly overstepped, its role when advising the Swedish authorities on the extradition of Mr. Assange to Sweden.
This leads to questions about the motive behind such actions, including whether the CPS was influenced by another extradition request or aimed to facilitate Mr. Assange’s subsequent extradition to the United States.”
The potential extradition of Assange has drawn significant criticism from various press freedom organizations. Both the UK’s National Union of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists have warned that Assange’s extradition could set a dangerous precedent, effectively criminalizing common journalistic practices.
They argue that prosecuting Assange for his role in revealing classified information is a direct threat to the freedom of the press and the public’s right to know about governmental misconduct.
The MPs’ call for an inquiry reflects broader concerns about the transparency and accountability of the CPS in high-profile international cases. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications not only for Assange but also for the principles of free speech and press freedom globally.
The MPs’ demand for an inquiry seeks to shed light on the CPS’s actions and ensure that justice is served without compromising the fundamental values of a free and open society.
The coming days will be critical in determining not only Assange’s fate but also the future landscape of investigative journalism and press freedom.
Image: Dominic Lipinski/AP
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