Assange: Europe must not duck away

A surprising turnaround in the case of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange: Sweden suspends investigations into alleged sexual offences. Now all that remains are political accusations – the EU must help!

So far the EU has completely ignored the Assange trial. It is only a matter of criminal investigations into rape, the EU commission said, and the EU does not interfere in judiciary.

But as of today that no longer applies. The EU country Sweden has surprisingly stopped the investigations – for lack of evidence. It is a second-class acquittal for Assange.

But now it’s getting really serious. All that remains are politically motivated accusations from the US. The founder of Wikileaks is facing a political trial – and extradition!

Washington accuses Assange of helping whistleblower Chelsea Manning to publish secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If convicted on all 18 counts and delivered to the USA, he faces an incredible 175 years in prison. Whistleblowers in the EU have recently been protected from persecution!

Against this background, Brussels must intervene – and protect Assange. That this might mean anger with the USA (and UK), may play thereby no role.

After all, we uphold the rule of law in the EU and the UK, don’t we?