Press Freedom Watchdog Urges Assange's Release On Day Of New Hearing

Press Freedom Watchdog Urges Assange's Release on Day of New Hearing

The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) non-profit organization on Monday reiterated its calls for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who had another hearing on Monday following the publication of a new indictment against him by the US Department of Justice

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th June, 2020) The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) non-profit organization on Monday reiterated its calls for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who had another hearing on Monday following the publication of a new indictment against him by the US Department of Justice.

Earlier in the day, Assange's legal team participated in an administrative hearing in London after the US Department of Justice issued a new indictment over the whistleblower's suspected conspiracy with Anonymous-affiliated hackers. Assange himself missed the hearing due to health reasons.

"We are extremely concerned by the new superseding indictment and call again for his immediate release," the group wrote on Twitter.

Assange was arrested in London in April and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for jumping his bail back in 2012 when he took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK capital to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced sexual assault charges, and possible extradition to the United States.

In May, the US Department of Justice indicted Assange on 18 charges, mostly regarding violations under the Espionage Act, and demanded his extradition from the United Kingdom. If convicted of these charges, the WikiLeaks founder faces up to 175 years in prison.