The jailed WikiLeaks publisher would need to be on French territory first, a court has said.
A Paris court on Tuesday rejected a motion to grant asylum to Julian Assange, submitted earlier this year by the Robin des Lois association on behalf of the jailed journalist.
French law requires “the presence of the individual applicant on the national territory or of the European Union” in order to file an asylum application, and the circumstances of Assange’s imprisonment “do not allow an exception” to the rule, said the court in the commune of Creteil.
Robin des Lois had requested that France allow Assange’s asylum application from the maximum-security Belmarsh prison in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been held since 2019. The nonprofit argued that asylum rules were contrary to several international conventions and the preamble to the French constitution.
Emmanuel Ludot, who represented Robin des Lois, told AFP that the association does not plan to appeal. He urged French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, who previously worked as Assange’s lawyer, to “at last take the matter into his own hands.”
Assange, 52, has been behind bars since April 2019, when Ecuador revoked his asylum – reportedly at the request of the US – and turned him over to the British police. The WikiLeaks publisher had sought sanctuary at the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012, arguing the US was preparing to have him arrested on a manufactured pretext.
Following his arrest, the US government unsealed an indictment charging him with Espionage Act violations, over the 2010 publication of classified military and State Department documents. The UK has since approved his extradition to the US, which is still pending appeal. If extradited and convicted, Assange faces up to 175 years behind bars.
Last month, the US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, hinted at the possibility of a plea agreement, which could see Assange – a native of Australia – agreeing to plead guilty to lesser charges in return for being permitted to return home to serve any remaining prison time.
Assange has insisted that he violated no laws, American or otherwise, and that his publication of the documents provided by a US military whistleblower was legitimate journalism protected by the US Constitution.
France is a weak US vassal, this comes as no surprise whatsoever…..
freedom of speach is crushed everywhere. Where are the ” journalists” /reporters ?
On small press outlets, called ” far right” or ” fascist” by governments and msm for truly doing their job of informing
Or on youtube, when not yet expelled.
On diverse video supports such as rumble odysee, bitchute etc
On substack.com and others outlets for written articles.
Yes there are still many talented journalists. But they don t have access to msm. Often unknown to broader public
In France, you don t have acces to rumble: forbidden. Youtube is heavily censured.
RT also forbidden. That is for the country of ” the human rights” lecturing others on this subject.
And thierry breton ,EU commissaris ( french) wants more censure…
The western press could go on strike to free Assange. Why don t they do it ??
Julian Assange should apply for a ‘Letter of Invitation’ from Russian Consulate Officers there in London.
Then, he can apply for a visa to initially ‘visit’.
After arrival, he can request Political Asylum, just as Edward Snowden did, and just as Kim Dotcom should be doing now!
IF Assange is released from custody in London, he should go directly to the Russian Embassy and seek refuge there in the event new and sudden bogus charges are filed with the intent to keep him locked-up!
IF President Putin grants him Russian Citizenship, he can then ask for a Special Diplomatic Passport that allows for moving about in a Russian Consulate or Embassy vehicle, and flight on a Russian aircraft out of the U.K..
France is a loser nation, and has seemingly always been so. The ‘West’ bailed them out of WWl, WWlll, Vietnam, out of Algeria & out of Morocco.
France only shut down the French Penal Colony in French Guyana (made famous by the movie ‘Papillon’) after it was noted to be worse than the Nazi Concentration Camps in WWll. Those disenfranchised and left behind are so very mentally damaged by their experiences that they are non-functioning entities who cannot leave French Guyana to go back to France (who would want to after that type of treatment…!).
IF Marine LePen had been elected, a lot of the crap that *Micron has instituted (*yes, I deliberately spelled his name that way…) and has allowed to go on under his WEF WHO brainwashing would have never happened.
Paris, the Çity of Light’????
More like the City of trash and rioting, hyper inflation, stabbings and beheadings, and oppressive ánti-terror laws’ and ‘laws protecting semitism’.