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Trump s presidency underscores exactly why Julian Assange s case is important Jameel Jaffer © Provided by NBC News In a case that advocates of freedom of the press have been watching closely, on Jan. 4 a British judge rejected the U.S. Justice Department’s request that Julian Assange be extradited from the United Kingdom to face trial in the United States. For Assange and his supporters, the ruling was a victory even if the Justice Department has pledged to appeal. (Assange was also denied bail.) But the ruling’s implications for press freedom are more complicated. The Justice Department’s case against Assange raised serious press freedom concerns from the outset. This is partly because so much of the indictment is devoted to describing activity that journalists engage in routinely like cultivating government sources, communicating with them confidentially, protecting their identities and publishing classified secrets. In defending the indictment, Jus

New yorkUnited statesUnited kingdomJulian assangeMax frankelVanessa baraitserNew york timesWashington postEuropean convention on human rightsJustice departmentUs justice departmentNational security agencyFor assangeEspionage actPentagon papersJudge vanessa baraitser