"Targeting Assange because of Wikileaks’ provision of information to journalists that was in the public interest would be a punitive measure and would set a dangerous precedent for journalists or their sources that the US may wish to pursue in future", Deloire wrote on Twitter.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the UK to prioritise the principles of freedom of expression and protection of the role of journalism, including journalistic sources, in their treatment of Assange. @wikileaks https://t.co/jBN4BNSBBf
— Christophe Deloire (@cdeloire) 11 апреля 2019 г.
Earlier in the day, the UK police arrested Assange inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had been residing for several years under political asylum, after Ecuador withdrew his asylum status.
READ MORE: Situation Outside of Ecuador's Embassy in London After Assange's Arrest (VIDEO)
Assange rose to fame after a number of publications revealing classified documents about US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2010, the WikiLeaks founder, who has been targeted by US officials for leaking the documents, went to Sweden where he had hoped to receive protection. However, he was soon charged with sex crimes in Sweden, but denied the allegations. A Swedish court put him on an international wanted list, after which Assange was arrested in London, but was soon released on bail and went to the Ecuadorian Embassy in the UK.
