Abject Before The Law: Assange, Begum, and rule of law

Around ten years ago, when it was common for people under 50 to discuss politics on Facebook, a friend of mine, an Irish trade union representative, proudly shared a photo of the large Julian Assange poster hanging in her bedroom. However, there was a negative response in the comments. An American activist living in Ireland questioned, “Is this a joke?” This incident made me realize that supporting Assange was becoming a less popular stance.

As highlighted by socialist writer Thomas Fazi in Unherd, a coordinated attack, aided by public ignorance, has significantly reduced the support for Assange. The lack of concern from the British Government towards Assange’s situation is not surprising. What is more concerning is the lack of public concern, which is the result of a campaign over the years aimed at tarnishing Assange’s reputation and diminishing public support for him.

Assange has suffered greatly for his journalistic practices of obtaining and publishing classified information that is truthful and of significant public interest. If the UK allows Assange to be extradited to the US, it will not only harm one individual but also undermine the rule of law itself.

In a recent UK court case, British-born Shamima Begum appealed to return to the UK after spending years in a Syrian detention camp. However, her appeal was rejected unanimously by three judges, leaving Begum stateless despite existing British legislation prohibiting such actions.

The decision in Begum’s case has raised concerns among various groups, including British conservatives, who fear the implications for the rule of law. The judgment undermines key principles of the constitution, such as equality before the law and the right to trial by jury.

Following the end of the ground war against ISIS in Syria, western countries have faced the challenge of repatriating their citizens who joined the terrorist organization. While the process is controversial, the UK has been hesitant to repatriate its citizens compared to other countries like France and Germany.

Deportation can also be used as a tool to uphold the law, as seen in the case of the French imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi, who was deported to Tunisia for preaching hatred. The swift deportation was made possible by existing legislative tools in France.

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