SF Chronicle: End Your Silence on the Jailing and Extradition of Julian Assange

The continued incarceration and possible extradition of Australian journalist and publisher Julian Assange is a threat not only to all journalists in the world but publishers such as the SF Chronicle.

Using the Espionage Act, even though he is not a US citizen, the US government is prosecuting the supposed crime of releasing documents that expose war crimes and atrocities committed by the US war machine in Iraq.

Of course, the perpetrators of the US crimes in Iraq have never been prosecuted but the whistleblower Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, is being prosecuted.

We must raise our voices to defend whistleblowers and independent journalists being censored and persecuted for revealing the truth and reporting on issues that people need to know.

Assange is a member of the Australian journalists union MEAA member since 2007. The Pacific Media Workers Guild, which represents journalists at the San Francisco Chronicle, and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have also called for his freedom. Nearly all journalist unions throughout the world are demanding his freedom.

We urge the San Francisco Chronicle and all news publishers both print and online to join the call for his freedom.