mo4ch:>Lone US senator decries use of Espionage Act against Assange as establishment keeps mum | Mo4ch News

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) has become a rare voice among the US politicians to denounce the new US indictment of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange as an encroachment on First Amendment rights.In a statement on Thursday, hours after Assange was hit with 17 additional charges under the Espionage Act, that carry a maximum total sentence of 170 years, Wyden warned that using the draconian legislation to effectively punish Assange for journalistic work might have dangerous implications to the freedom of press in the US."This is not about Julian Assange. This is about the use of the Espionage Act to charge a recipient and publisher of classified information. I am extremely concerned about the precedent this may set and potential dangers to the work of journalists and the First Amendment," Wyden said.Also on rt.com'Modern fascism is breaking cover': Journalists react to Assange Espionage Act chargesWyden is known as a long-time advocate of privacy and civil liberties in the…