Der Brief wurde von Max Lucks initiiert und von Jürgen Trittin unterzeichnet.

To:

Mr Richard Burgon MP, Mr David Davis MP, Ms Diane Abbot MP, Ms Caroline Lucas MP, Mr Tommy Sheppard Mp, Mr John McDonnell MP, Mr Jeremy Corbyn MP, Mr Kenny MacAskill MP, Ms Apsana Begum MP, Mr Ian Byrne MP, Mr Neale Hanvey MP, Ms Bell Addy-Ribeiro MP, Ms Claudia Webbe MP, Ms Kate Osborne MP, Mr Ian Lavery MP, Ms Zarah Sultana MP, Ms Joanna Cherry MP, Mr Martyn Day MP, Mr Stuart C McDonald MP, Mr Hywel Williams MP, Mr Grahame Morris MP, Mr Ben Lake MP, Mr Tony Lloyd MP, Ms Rachael Maskell MP

Berlin, May 3, 2022
Subject: Concern for Julian Assange, founder of the platform Wikileaks

Dear honourable Members of Parliament,
Esteemed colleagues in the United Kingdom,

As a cross-party group of parliamentarians of the German Bundestag, we have the honour
to reach out to you, and to ask for your attention in a case that is currently of great
concern to us, knowing that we share a mutual concern for the protection as well as the
implementation of internationally recognized human rights. We have closely followed
the fate of Julian Assange in the past; however, the current developments in his case
arouse our concern all the more.

Mr Assange, founder of the platform Wikileaks, has not been granted to live in freedom
for more than eleven years. Since April 2019 he has been imprisoned at HMP Belmarsh
where he is waiting for the United Kingdom’s decision on his extradition requested by
the United States of America. Because of his investigative journalistic work, including
exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, he faces charges of up to 175 years in
prison in the United States.

A free press, to which both the United Kingdom and Germany have committed, is a basic
prerequisite for healthy democracies and a functioning rule of law. In line with several
renowned human rights organisations, we are very concerned about the deterring effect
that an extradition to and the persecution of Mr Assange in the United States might have
on freedom of the press, investigative journalism, and freedom of expression worldwide.
As elected representatives in the German Bundestag we consider an extradition as a fatal
symbol for journalists and media publishers all over the world. Thus, we respectfully
request you to use the means at your disposal to ensure that these potentially serious
implications are taken into account in the final decision-making that now lies with the
Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Rt Hon Priti Patel.

Additionally, we fear for Mr Assange’s health as he currently remains and likely will
remain in detention and prolonged isolation. The UN Special Rapporteur on torture,
Professor Nils Melzer, has long warned that Julian Assange is showing symptoms of
„psychological torture“ and must therefore be released immediately. Mr Assange’s poor
state of health was indeed the main argument of the British judiciary in its judgement of
January 4, 2021, which prohibited extradition to an unforeseeably long U.S. custody. Yet,
Mr Assange remains in solitary confinement in HMP Belmarsh, because the U.S.
government insists on the extradition to which the London High Court eventually agreed
on December 10, 2021 neglecting the ongoing concerns for his health. The renewed
appeal by Mr Assange’s lawyers was not accepted.

We therefore kindly request you to ensure that the consequences an extradition might
entail for Mr Assange’s life and health continue to be carefully taken into account.
Human rights and hence the obligations according to the European Convention on
Human Right to which the United Kingdom has committed must lie at the core of the
final decision.

Esteemed Members of Parliament, in acknowledgement of the Resolution 2317 of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and in the mutual recognition of our
partnership and the bond of our shared values, we sincerely hope you will help building
bridges in Julian Assange’s case. In your House and especially in your communication
with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Rt Hon Priti Patel, we kindly
ask you to underline the consequences – for Mr Assange’s health as well as for freedom of
the press worldwide – an extradition of Mr Assange would have.

We are looking forward to engaging in a conversation with you on this matter.
Please accept the assurance of our most distinguished consideration.

Respectfully yours,
Max Lucks MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Derya Türk-Nachbaur MP, SPD Parliamentary Group
Peter Heidt MP, FDP Parliamentary Group
Frank Schwabe MP, SPD Parliamentary Group
Sevim Dağdelen MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Jürgen Trittin MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Julian Pahlke MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Manuel Höferlin MP, FDP Parliamentary Group
Fabian Funke MP, SPD Parliamentary Group
Dr Gregor Gysi MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Deborah Düring MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Boris Mijatovic MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Erhard Grundl MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Janine Wissler MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Amira Mohamed Ali MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Tabea Rößner MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Axel Schäfer MP, SPD Parliamentary Group
Canan Bayram MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Dr André Hahn MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Dr Sahra Wagenknecht MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Matthias W. Birkwald MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Merle Spellerberg MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Helge Lindh MP, SPD Parliamentary Group
Christian Görke MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Misbah Khan MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Andrej Hunko MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Susanne Menge MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Anke Domscheit-Berg MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Dr Jan-Niclas Gesenhues MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Ates Gürpinar MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Johannes Wagner MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Thomas Lutze MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Kai Gehring MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Sören Pellmann MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Tobias Bacherle MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens
Dr Petra Sitte MP, Parliamentary Group The Left
Nyke Slawik MP, Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens