As the holiday season passes, many patriots, and voices of truth and liberty are being kept behind bars, separated from their loved ones. Many of those who participated in the January 6th protest remain separated from their families this holiday season, imprisoned on baseless charges. The January 6th patriots are not the only ones facing persecution and separation from their families for voicing truth and defending freedom. Journalist Julian Assange is also currently separated from his family, due to imprisonment. Congress, it's time to defend the liberty and free speech of all; halt the extradition of Julian Assange and drop all charges to reunite this brave man with his family!

In October, more than a dozen U.S. lawmakers signed a letter spearheaded by McGovern and Massie that was sent to President Biden, urging him to end the prosecution against Assange. In September, a delegation of Australian lawmakers visited Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. officials and advocate for Assange's freedom. On the four-year anniversary of Assange's arrest in April, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., led a letter to the Justice Department signed by some House members, demanding it drop the charges.

Assange will face the British High Court in February 2024, where they will rule whether or not he is extradited to the United States. If that were to happen, Assange faces 18 charges, 17 of which are stealthily cobbled from the aged and oppressive U.S. Espionage Act of 1917. If charged with these crimes, he could face up to 175 years of imprisonment.

Last week, another resolution was introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar, sponsored by numerous colleagues of his, expressing that "regular journalistic activities" are protected by the First Amendment and that the U.S. government should end its prosecution against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is accused of publishing classified U.S. military documents.

Assange's relentless persecution by the U.S. endangers media freedom, investigative journalism, and the public's right to information, challenging the nation's fundamental values. To accept the persecution of Julian Assange is to accept the idea that all media everywhere must function as propaganda machines of the U.S. government.

Good journalism is allowed to be critical; it's allowed to be inconvenient, controversial, and to criticize governments. No one, especially under the protection of the First Amendment, should be imprisoned for exercising their freedom of speech and telling the truth!

There are so many patriots, freedom fighters, and voices of truth locked behind bars, being denied the very thing they sought to fight for! Our January 6 protestors are being held as political prisoners, and for what? Because they voiced the truth. Assange is another example of this, a man who exposed and voiced the truth, and because of that, he is paying for it with his life and liberty. Like the January 6 patriots, Assange remains separated from his family as another holiday season passes.

Congress, halt the extradition of Julian Assange, demand that the Biden Administration drop all charges against him, and allow him to reunite with his family! Free the voices of truth that have had their rights stripped from them! Free Julian Assange!