Icelandic politician proposes resolution to recognize Julian Assange as political prisoner

Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir, a member of the Pirate Party in Iceland and deputy chair of the Icelandic delegation to the Council of Europe, plans to propose a resolution next month affirming that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, should be recognized as a political prisoner. This initiative follows a report approved earlier today by the Council’s legal and human rights committee.

Assange faced espionage charges from the U.S. in connection with the release of classified documents regarding American military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years before spending the subsequent five years in a British prison. He was released this summer after reaching an agreement with U.S. authorities.

Ævarsdóttir argues that it is important for the parliaments of Britain and the U.S. to receive recommendations from the Council of Europe regarding how Assange was treated as a political prisoner. She emphasizes that the legal systems in those countries are often praised for their democratic principles, suggesting that there has been a significant failure in this case.

She expresses optimism about the proposal’s chances of passing, noting the committee’s approval of the report. “I am very hopeful since the legal and human rights committee of the Council of Europe has accepted the report, and I believe there is a good chance it will pass,” she said.