Ævarsdóttir to propose declaration of Julian Assange as political prisoner at Council of Europe

Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir, a member of the Pirate Party, plans to present a proposal at the Council of Europe next month declaring that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, was a political prisoner while held in the UK. The proposal builds on a report approved today by the Legal and Human Rights Committee of the Council of Europe.

Julian Assange faced espionage charges from the U.S. related to the publication of classified documents concerning American military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years before spending five years in British prison. He was released this past summer after reaching an agreement with U.S. authorities.

Ævarsdóttir’s report on Assange’s detention will be voted on during the upcoming Council session. She has also submitted a proposal for the Council to officially recognize Assange as a political prisoner. The report received approval from the Legal and Human Rights Committee this morning.

Ævarsdóttir emphasized the significance of the proposal, stating that it would prompt the UK and U.S. to reconsider how they managed the case of a political prisoner. “Given that their legal systems are considered very democratic, it is clear that something went wrong, and the main human rights organization in Europe is urging these countries to examine what went wrong to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” she noted.

She expressed optimism for the proposal’s acceptance, citing the favorable reception of the report by the committee and her belief in its potential for success.