The editors and publishers of five media organisations issued an open letter yesterday urging the US government to end its prosecution of Julian Assange.

The letter – signed by the Guardian, New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El País – was issued on the 12-year anniversary of “Cablegate”, when Assange’s WikiLeaks released 2,51,000 confidential cables from the US state department. The five media outlets had published these documents and the revelations they contained. 

In 2019, the US department of justice indicted Assange on 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act. 

As the letter noted, the five signatories had criticised Assange in 2011 for publishing unredacted copies of some cables, and over allegations that he “attempted to aid in computer intrusion of a classified database”. But they were now compelled to “express our grave concerns about the continued prosecution of Julian Assange for obtaining and publishing classified materials”.

“This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America’s First Amendment and the freedom of the press,” it said. “Holding governments accountable is part of the core mission of a free press in a democracy.”

It continued, “Obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of the daily work of journalists. If that work is criminalised, our public discourse and our democracies are made significantly weaker.”

Ten years ago, Newslaundry had interviewed Siddharth Varadarajan, then editor of the Hindu, on what it was like to handle the Wikileaks treasure trove. What yardsticks did the newspaper apply? Watch the full interview here.