Mohave Today

Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued a statement in response to reports that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to a plea deal allowing him to be free.

“Several months ago, I introduced H.Res. 934, a bipartisan resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that regular journalistic activities are protected under the First Amendment and that the United States ought to drop all charges against Julian Assange," said Congressman Gosar.

Gosar emphasized the importance of the First Amendment in protecting press freedom, which he described as essential for holding those in power accountable and informing the public on important matters. "The First Amendment to the Constitution protects the freedom of the press. It helps ensure that journalists have the right to gather and publish information without fear of reprisal from the federal government."

He further commented on Assange's imprisonment, stating, "The case against Julian Assange brought to light the importance of protecting free speech, free press and the consequences of restricting them. Julian Assange had been unjustly imprisoned for daring to expose government misconduct and the true nature of United States military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for releasing emails showing that Democratic National Committee colluded with Hillary Clinton."

"Finally, Julian Assange is free but not before unnecessarily spending five years in prison,” concluded Congressman Gosar.

Julian Assange has been noted for his 2011 remarks on Afghanistan: “The goal is to use Afghanistan to wash money out of tax bases of the US and Europe through Afghanistan and back into hands of a transnational security elite. The goal is an endless war, not a successful war." His imprisonment stemmed from his disclosure of Afghanistan war records promoting public transparency by exposing incidents such as hiring child prostitutes by Defense Department contractors, friendly fire incidents, civilian killings, among others.