Before being crowned, the founder of WikiLeaks encouraged the new British monarch to visit the prison that bears his name.
King Charles III was urged to visit His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh and see for himself the “world-class” conditions that exist there in a letter that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sent to the king on Friday.
Assange told the King that it must be “delightful” to have “such an esteemed establishment bear your name,” noting that the maximum security facility was “just a short foxhunt from the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.”
Assange said, “I am honored to dwell behind the walls of this world-class institution as a political prisoner, imprisoned at Your Majesty’s pleasure on behalf of a humiliated foreign government.” Your kingdom truly knows no boundaries.”
The imprisoned journalist wrote about the “culinary delights” provided to inmates alone in their cells, the recreational use of prescription drugs by inmates, the ban on playing chess for “healthcare” reasons, rodent infestations, and the suicide of one of his friends—a gay man who hanged himself before being deported to Brazil.
Assange’s letter continued, “I beseech you, King Charles, to visit His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh, for it is an honor worthy of a king.” As you begin your reign, may you never forget the King James Bible’s proclamation that “Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). And may mercy serve as your kingdom’s beacon both inside and outside of Belmarsh.
After Ecuador terminated his refugee status and permitted police to remove him from the nation’s embassy in London, where he had sought refuge since 2012, Assange was detained by British authorities in 2019. The US Department of Justice unveiled a multi-count indictment against Assange on the same day of his arrest, charging him with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act, which carries a potential death sentence.
Assange is now resisting a US extradition request, and his attorneys have challenged a previous decision approving his transfer to the US, citing the imprisoned publisher’s deteriorating health.
The accusations against Assange resulted from his interactions with whistleblowers, namely Chelsea Manning, who in 2010 provided WikiLeaks with sensitive documents alleging US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange was indicted for his role in publishing these documents, even though he did not physically leak them.
News organizations, celebrities, proponents of free expression, and several US and foreign politicians have all urged US President Joe Biden to dismiss the charges against Assange.
