The US media's silence about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange facing extradition to the United States is astonishing, Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate in the 2016 election for president of the United States, told Sputnik

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd July, 2019) The US media's silence about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange facing extradition to the United States is astonishing, Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate in the 2016 election for president of the United States, told Sputnik.

"It's also very threatening because the US government here is holding a citizen of another country accountable for US laws and so we could extract anybody from any country or Russia could do that to journalists in the US. It's a grave threat to freedom of the press which is essential if we are to maintain a democracy," Stein said. "This [free press] is the bedrock of democracy which is at risk right now, and it's mindboggling that the US press is being docile and keeping quiet here."

The US government has filed a request to have Assange extradited from the UK over computer intrusion and espionage charges. In April, Assange was arrested in London and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for jumping bail in 2012 when he claimed asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid being extradited to Sweden over sexual assault charges.

Stein pointed out that right now members of the US media feel the need to "defend their own hide" despite the fact that journalists are now at risk.

"They are very much at risk because Assange is being threatened with life in prison or the death penalty... essentially for doing what publishers do and what journalists do as well - by critiquing US foreign policy and, in particular, by publishing security documents that have not been released," she explained.

Stein said society is in deep trouble without whistleblowers and documents made public that inform people of what their governments are doing because it leaves no constraints on unaccountable power, empire and authoritarianism.

"If the rule of law had anything to do with this there would be no threat to Julian Assange, he could not be extradited because according to UK law you cannot extradite someone for political purposes and espionage is essentially a political charge," Stein said. "You also can't extradite someone whose life would be at risk or would be at risk for torture. So, all those conditions exist. If the rule of law had anything to do with this, he could not be subject to extradition."

Asked whether there is any hope for Assange to be released, Stein said, "I think it's a moving target right now.

"As whether or not there will be a public mobilization around this, it hasn't happened yet, but there is still time and I think there are a lot of conversations that are taking place now," she added.

Assange's situation, Stein argued, makes a mockery of democracy and reflects poorly on the justice systems in the United Sates, UK, Sweden and Ecuador.

A UK court will now decide whether Assange is extradited to the United States. The relevant hearing will begin in February 2020. If London approves Washington's extradition request Assange could face up to 175 years in a US prison.