This is one under-noted but bizarre aspect of the Assange prosecution. So often you’ll hear Americans accuse him of “treason” or “espionage.”

He’s not American. He’s been to the US once, for a few days, committed no crimes in the US. How does the US assert authority to grab him? https://twitter.com/richimedhurst/status/1304052529819516930

Is it OK if China or Iran or Russia or Venezuela or any of The Bad Countries start demanding American journalists who report on their government in a way that makes them look bad, or who reveals their secrets, be detained and shipped there for prosecution and imprisonment?

A few months ago @theintercept, partnering with the @nytimes, published a slew of top secret docs from Iran’s intelligence agencies revealing what they’re doing in Iraq.

Does Iran have the right to nab those reporters and haul them to Tehran for trial? https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/18/world/middleeast/iran-iraq-spy-cables.html

The reality is the thing we’re all supposed to pretend doesn’t exist — the National Security blob, the military-industrial complex, the Deep State — is tyrannical and destroys anyone who meaningfully impedes it.

*That’s* why Assange is in a UK prison & @Snowden is in exile.

One of the most important & revealing statements in the Trump era came from @chuckschumer, speaking to @maddow, shortly before Trump’s inauguration.

If you want to understand why the US is attempting to imprison Assange & @Snowden for life, this is why:

Reminder of what the @ACLU said when warning how dangerous was the attempted extradition and prosecution of Assange. The silence about this from so many mainstream journalists - those most endangered by this - continues to stun:

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-comment-julian-assange-indictment