Former Texas Republican and ‘god father’ of the tea party movement Ron Paul thinks the deep state may be out to shut WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange up permanently.

The 83-year-old liberty icon spoke out about the ongoing abuse of Assange by U.K. authorities on an edition of his “Ron Paul Liberty Report” broadcast earlier today. Paul believes the mistreatment of Assange is undergoing is a ‘tragic story’ emblematic of how the deep state treats whistle-blowers.

Paul compares the treatment of Assange by U.K. authorities to how the North Koreans treated U.S. student Otto Warmbier before he died.

“If he had a terminal disease or something happens to him, good, bad, or whatever and he dies in the prison, how would we look a lot different to the North Koreans on the surface?” Paul asked.

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Paul noted reports of Assange’s “very very bad” health and feels that U.K. and U.S. authorities want to make an example of the man “for being a journalist” by either killing him or putting him in prison for life.

Journalist Cassandra Fairbanks echoed Paul’s concerns during a recent appearance on the One America News Network. She is one of the last journalists to see Assange in person.

Assange’s mother, Christine, has made a plea to the world on behalf of her ailing son:

The UK Gov is unlawfully slowly killing my son! They made him very ill by refusing him ANY access to life sustaining fresh air, exercise, sun/VitD or proper medical care for 6 YEARS of illegal Embassy detention (@UN) Then against ALL medical advice threw him into a prison cell https://t.co/AJxqACDLpo — Mrs Christine Assange (@AssangeMrs) May 29, 2019

Nils Melzer, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture, visited Assange with two medical professionals who have a background in examining torture victims on May 9. He issued a report on the “the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment” created for Assange.

Melzer claims the U.K, along with the U.S. and Ecuador, are engaging in “relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr. Assange.”

Assange was ejected from the Ecuadorean embassy in the UK after his asylum status was revoked in April. He was previously isolated from society under house arrest there for seven years.

Paul is a proponent for Assange and has been for many years. Assange once appeared on an edition of the “Ron Paul Liberty Report” back in 2017.

Paul stands with Assange throughout his turmoil, arguing that he has done a public service with his WikiLeaks organization, and it is “not like he spied for the enemy.”

“His crime was telling us the truth,” Paul said. “He was telling the truth, he was revealing information … he is a whistleblower in the form of a journalist.”

Assange is locked up a prison health ward right now as he attempts to recover. If he pulls through, he will likely face extradition to the U.S. to face 18 felony counts that could put him in prison for the rest of his life.

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