Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) invited the brother of Julian Assange to the State of the Union Thursday night.

“For over two centuries we have respected freedom of the press. We must not go backwards by prosecuting Julian Assange. Tonight, Gabriel will attend the State of the Union with me to bring attention to the injustice dealt to his brother, Julian,” Massie wrote.

“Gabriel Shipton, Julian Assange’s brother will have my guest ticket tonight at the State of the Union. We hope to bring attention to the bipartisan letter that @RepMcGovern and I and many other members of Congress sent to President Biden,” Massie said in another post.

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Fox News reports:

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is bringing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, as his guest to President Biden’s State of the Union address, as the Biden administration continues to pursue the prosecution of Assange for publishing classified U.S. documents.

“It is a real honor to be a guest of Rep. Massie,” Shipton told Fox News Digital. “He is steadfast in his calls for the prosecution of Julian to be let go, and very clear about what’s at stake in this unprecedented indictment of a publisher for sharing information in the public interest.”

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The possible final appeal for Assange challenging his extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. wrapped up last month before the British High Court in London, with the Australian publisher not appearing in court due to health reasons.

Assange, 52, is charged in connection with WikiLeaks’ 2010 publication of classified U.S. military documents leaked by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. Assange is facing 17 charges for allegedly receiving, possessing and communicating classified information to the public under the Espionage Act, and one charge alleging a conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.

“The U.S. government’s ongoing effort to prosecute Julian Assange threatens the First Amendment rights of Americans and should be opposed,” Massie said in a press release.

“I am honored to be Representative Massie’s guest at the State of the Union address,” Gabriel Shipton said.

“The prosecution of Julian Assange is a direct attack on the 1st amendment and the freedom of the press to publish information in the public interest. Rep. Massie is a fierce defender of these rights having introduced legislation that would protect my brother Julian and put an end to the espionage act being weaponised against publishers. I hope President Biden, can take a new look at the indictment and see it for the threat to democracy that it is,” he continued.

“Shipton also met with Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern, who is a co-leader on House Resolution 934, which calls for dropping all charges against Assange,” Assange Defense wrote.

From The Courier-Journal:

Assange, who is originally from Australia, started Wikileaks in 2006. The website published classified documents in 2010 from U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, including documents about Iran’s backing of militants in Iraq and video footage of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed civilians.

In May 2019, the U.S. Justice Department announced a federal grand jury indicted Assange on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse.

Assange has been held in London’s Belmarsh Prison for five years, after he was arrested for skipping bail. Previously, Assange spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced allegations of rape and sexual assault.

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The U.S. wants Assange, 52, sent to the U.S. to face his charges, but Assange’s lawyers are trying to stop him from being sent. This month would be the earliest when Assange could find out whether he can challenge extradition.

Shipton has advocated for his brother’s release, including visiting Washington, D.C., to lobby on Assange’s behalf. He is the chair of the Assange Campaign, which was organized to support and protect Assange and has previously said that Assange’s charges have driven a wedge between the U.S. and Australia.

 

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