Assange Appeal Hearing Plagued By Media Access Issues
Journalists trying to cover the biggest world press freedom case of the 21st century have struggled to do their jobs
In a high-profile extradition case widely regarded as a threat to global press freedom, administrators of the United Kingdom’s courts have repeatedly shown that they are incapable and unwilling to ensure open justice for journalists.
All reporters outside of England and Wales (including this reporter) were barred from accessing the audio-visual link for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s hearing, where he urged the British High Court of Justice grant permission to appeal extradition to the United States.
Several journalists who traveled internationally to cover proceedings have been seated in a section of the courtroom that makes doing their job practically impossible.
"It's outrageous that the High Court is trying to silence the press's coverage of a case that threatens to silence the press for good. Courts need to be open to the press and public if they expect their rulings to be respected by the public," Freedom of the Press Foundation advocacy director Seth Stern told The Dissenter. "Instead the High Court appears to be doing everything possible to evade transparency and complicate the jobs of journalists and observers."
Read the full article at The Dissenter