RFK Jr. Slams Assange's Plea Deal As A Threat To Press Freedom Amid Health Concerns

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has voiced apprehensions regarding the plea agreement that Julian Assange has been compelled to accept, characterizing it as "bad news" and a substantial setback for freedom of the press.

According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, Assange has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents, as reported by Hindustan Times.

RFK Jr. Slams Assange's Plea Deal

Kennedy, expressing relief over Assange's impending release, conveyed his sentiments on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "I am overjoyed. He's a generational hero."

Kennedy underscored the broader implications of Assange's guilty plea, suggesting that it signals that "the US security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and extending their jurisdiction globally to non-citizens."

This plea agreement follows years of legal battles and an extended period of detention for Assange. Kennedy also highlighted Assange's health concerns as a factor influencing his decision to accept the plea deal. According to Kennedy, Assange's declining health made continued incarceration potentially life-threatening, stating, "Julian had to take this. He has heart problems and he would have died in prison."

Acknowledging the pressure on Assange to agree to the deal, Kennedy emphasized that the U.S. government, by advocating for this plea agreement, has set a "horrifying precedent" for the future of press freedom, as per media reports. Kennedy argued that the United States has now expanded its legal jurisdiction to encompass foreign journalists, criminalizing activities that are considered standard in investigative journalism and posing "a significant blow to freedom of the press."

In response to these developments, Kennedy called for the release of two other whistleblowers, Edward Snowden and Ross Ulbricht, as a demonstration of commitment to government transparency and transactional freedom, respectively. He tweeted, "Free Edward Snowden to demonstrate our commitment to government transparency. Free Ross Ulbricht to show our commitment to transactional freedom."