cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/15072458

United States President Joe Biden marked World Press Freedom Day by calling for the “immediate and unconditional release of all journalists who have been put behind bars for simply doing their jobs.” He added, “Journalism should not be a crime anywhere on Earth.”

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been in detention in London’s Belmarsh maximum-security prison for more than five years because the Biden administration insists on bringing Assange to the U.S. for a trial on unprecedented Espionage Act charges that were issued under President Donald Trump.

Despite what Blinken claims, the U.S. does not support “free and independent media around the world.” It supports media that help U.S. officials further the agenda of the U.S. government.