To: The President of the United States of America, Mr Joseph Biden,
C/- Ambassador Caroline Kennedy,
Embassy of the United States of America
Moonah Pl,
Yarralumla ACT 2600.
Petition to Free Julian Assange
We, the people of Australia, call on the Administration of the United States of America to end the prosecution of Mr Julian Assange.
Mr Assange is an Australian citizen and publisher, being held in Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom pending the finalisation of an extradition request from the United States government that is seeking to prosecute him for espionage and other alleged crimes.
We call upon you to end the prosecution of Mr. Assange on the following grounds:
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That his prosecution under the United States Espionage Act is a violation of the right to Freedom of Expression, the Freedom of the Press and the right of all citizens to be informed of the criminal acts committed by governments.
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The charges against him are politically motivated in that they are motivated by an intention to punish Mr Assange for exposing the war crimes of the American military.
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That his right to legal privilege has been violated by the CIA ordering secret recordings of his meetings with his lawyers and his conversations while in the Ecuadorian Embassy.
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That his prosecution sets a dangerous precedent of extra-territoriality that globally endangers journalists and publishers who reveal abuses of governments of all persuasions.
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That a key source of the allegations against Mr Assange has since admitted that he fabricated the false allegations and has since been charged with numerous crimes.
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That he has been subject to harsh and unreasonable conditions by being imprisoned in a high security prison when he is not a dangerous person.
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That the planned trial in the "Espionage court" of Eastern District of Virginia will not be a fair trial.
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That imprisonment for 175 years in a maximum-security prison, which Mr Assange faces in the United States, is cruel and inhumane and amounts to an effective death penalty.
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That his treatment and lack of medical assistance has caused him to have a stroke which has severely impacted his life.
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That he is an innocent man, who deserves to be recognised for his contribution to democracy, and not prosecuted to deter others.
