Grant political asylum to whistleblower Julian Assange? The National Assembly debated on Friday a motion for a cross-partisan resolution once again inviting the French government to grant refugee status to the founder of Wikileaks, with the key being a refusal from the executive and the majority.
Examined as part of a day devoted to the opposition group Libertés et Territoires, the text defended by the deputy Jennifer de Temmerman had only a symbolic significance, because it was not binding. He nevertheless received the support of presidential candidates, the communist Fabien Roussel and the “Rebellious” Jean-Luc Mélenchon, environmental deputies, centrists of the UDI, a socialist and a handful of elected officials. of the majority.
The examination of this resolution took place a few days after the agreement between the assembly and the senate around a bill by Modem deputy Sylvain Waserman for better protection of whistleblowers in France.
Despite the vehemence and lyricism of pro-Assange speakers, MPs voted against the resolution by 17 votes in favor and 31 against.
“Today is a victory. We give back a voice to those who no longer have one”, however greeted Ms. de Temmerman about Mr. Assange imprisoned in the United Kingdom since 2019 after spending seven years in the London embassy of Ecuador where he is. was a refugee while on bail.
Prosecuted for a case of rape which he denies by the Swedish justice, he is especially claimed by the American justice which charged him under the anti-espionage laws. He faces 175 years in prison for having allowed the publication of tens of thousands of confidential documents, in particular on American operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“He denounced barbaric actions and unspeakable blunders that had to be made public,” greeted the communist Stéphane Peu.
For Jean-François Mbaye (LREM), “no human rights defender can tolerate such a disproportionate situation” and even if “the intention is noble”, the deputy from Val-de-Marne highlighted the “contentious points” of the resolution, in particular of a legal and diplomatic nature.
Same story on the side of the Minister of Foreign Trade Franck Riester whom Alexis Corbière (LFI) criticized for only giving a “legal framework” without ever mentioning “Julian Assange”.
His college LFI François Ruffin deplored the French “cowardice” while the ecologist deputy Cédric Villani wanted to vibrate the patriotic rope: “France will only be respected if it speaks loudly”.