The former mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, announced on Thursday that jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be granted honorary citizenship of Rome early next year. The decision was made following a vote by the local assembly. Assange, who has been incarcerated in London’s Belmarsh prison since 2019, faces extradition to the United States for his role in the 2010 release of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables.
Supporters of Assange argue that his prosecution is a politically motivated attack on both journalism and freedom of speech, while Washington claims that the disclosure of classified documents endangered lives.
The initiative to confer honorary citizenship upon Assange was led by Raggi, a member of the left-leaning Five Star Movement, and received support from various political parties. “Assange represents free speech, which is fundamental to any true democracy,” stated Raggi, who served as Rome’s mayor from 2016 to 2021. She added, “He has been unjustly deprived of his freedom for years, enduring appalling conditions, solely for fulfilling his duties as a journalist.”
The motion was approved earlier in the week, initiating a process that Raggi anticipates being finalized by Christmas, although it might take a bit longer.
Other Italian cities have taken similar steps in support of Assange. Last month, the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy granted him citizenship, and Naples is poised to do the same in the near future.
If Assange is extradited to the United States, he could potentially face a prison sentence of up to 175 years in a maximum-security facility.
(Reporting by Alessia Pe and Gavin Jones, editing by Alvise Armellini and Jonathan Oatis)
