無國界記者送交全球請願，敦促英國內奇政大臣拒絕引渡阿桑
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has delivered a petition of nearly 64,000 signatures from around the world, gathered in only four weeks, calling on UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to reject the extradition of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange to the United States.
On 17 and 18 May, RSF representatives in seven countries delivered a petition signed by nearly 64,000 #FreeAssange supporters around the world (between the international and German versions), urging Patel not to sign the extradition order and instead act to protect journalism and press freedom by releasing Assange without further delay.
In London, RSF gathered with other NGOs who had signed a separate joint letter to Patel, to attempt to deliver the petition directly to the Home Office, which refused to accept it. RSF instead submitted it via email and in the post. Representatives of RSF also delivered the petition to the British embassies in Washington, D.C., Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rio and Algiers.
“We are grateful to supporters from around the world for signing this petition and adding their voices to the global call on the UK government not to extradite Julian Assange. The message is clear: a move to extradite Assange would be a move against journalism and press freedom. We call on Priti Patel to reject the extradition order and secure Assange’s immediate release, and will continue our global campaign until he is free,” said RSF Director of Operations and Campaigns Rebecca Vincent.
Following a four-week period for submissions given to Assange’s defence after the 20 April order of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, from 18 May onwards, Patel could sign or reject the extradition order at any point.
If extradited to the United States, Assange would be prosecuted on 18 charges related to Wikileaks’ publication in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of leaked classified documents, informing extensive public interest reporting around the world. He could face up to 175 years in prison, and would be the first publisher prosecuted under the Espionage Act, which lacks a public interest defence.
無國界記者送交全球請願，敦促英國內奇政大臣拒絕引渡阿桑奇
在僅僅四周的時間內，無國界記者（RSF）所發起的請願便在全球各地收集到將近64,000份簽名，要求英國內政大臣帕特爾（Priti Patel）拒絕將維基解密的資訊發布人阿桑奇（Julian Assange）引渡至美國。
5月17日和18日，無國界記者七國代表送交全球近64,000位“#釋放阿桑奇”支持者簽名的請願書（國際版與德國版合計），敦促帕特爾拒簽引渡命令，並立即釋放阿桑奇以保護新聞界與新聞自由。
在倫敦，無國界記者與其他另外聯名上書帕特爾的非政府組織集會，試圖將請願書直接送交內政部，但內政部拒絕接收。無國界記者因此改以電子郵件與實體郵件呈交，其代表也將請願書送交華盛頓特區、巴黎、柏林、馬德里、里約與阿爾及爾的英國大使。
無國界記者國際行動主任文森特（Rebecca Vincent）表示，“感謝世界各地的支持者簽署這份請願書，與全球民眾一起發聲要求英國政府拒絕引渡阿桑奇。我們所要傳達的訊息十分清楚：引渡阿桑奇不利於新聞界發展，更違反新聞自由的精神。我們呼籲帕特爾駁回引渡命令，並爭取立即釋放阿桑奇，在他獲釋前，我們將繼續進行全球活動”。
西敏寺治安法院於4月20日發布命令，給予阿桑奇的辯護人四周時間提交陳述資料，從5月18日開始，帕特爾可隨時簽署或駁回引渡命令。
如被引渡至美國，阿桑奇將因維基解密於2010年發布數十萬份外泄機密文件而遭起訴18項罪名，這些文件為全球各地眾多公共利益相關報導提供了所需資訊。阿桑奇可能面臨長達175年的刑期，並成為首位以《間諜法》起訴的資訊發布者，該法缺乏公共利益抗辯規則。
轉載自RSF網頁
