MP Thomas Massie has invited Gabriel Shipton, brother of imprisoned publisher Julian Assange, to attend the State of the Union address as his guest.
Shipton is a prominent advocate for his brother’s release.
Assange has been held in London’s Belmarsh prison since April 2019 as the US government works to extradite him. Before his arrest, he had been living at the Ecuadorian embassy as asylum since June 2012.
He is currently charged under the Espionage Act for publishing war logs in Iraq and Afghanistan. If convicted, Assange could face a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
“The United States government’s continued effort to prosecute Julian Assange threatens the First Amendment rights of Americans and should be resisted,” Massie said in a statement provided to The Gateway Pundit.
Massie continued: “During his time in office, I called on President Trump to pardon Mr. Assange, and I was disappointed by his failure to do so. President Biden should drop the criminal charges currently being pursued by the Department of Justice. I am delighted that Mr. Shipton has accepted my invitation to join me at the State of the Union.”
“I am honored to be Representative Massie’s guest at the State of the Union address,” said Shipton.
“The prosecution of Julian Assange is a direct attack on the 1st Amendment and the freedom of the press to publish information in the public interest,” Shipton continued. “Representative. Massie is a fierce defender of these rights having introduced legislation that would protect my brother Julian and end the Espionage Act being weaponized against publishers. I hope President Biden can take a fresh look at the accusation and see because of the threat to democracy it represents.”
Massie’s office said it hopes Shipton’s presence at the State of the Union will draw further attention to a bipartisan letter that Rep. Massie and Rep. Jim McGovern previously sent to Biden on Assange’s behalf.
The letter calls on President Biden to “stop all prosecutions” against Julian Assange “as soon as possible.”
“It is the duty of journalists to seek sources, including documentary evidence, to report to the public on government activities,” the letter reads. “The United States must not pursue an unnecessary prosecution that risks criminalizing common journalistic practices and thus slowing the work of the free press. We urge you to ensure this case is closed as promptly as possible.”
The bipartisan letter was also signed by Representative Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Rand Paul.
The State of the Union Address will be delivered by Biden on Thursday, March 7 at 9:00 pm EST.