Oddbean

Tomorrow, January 4th, the verdict in Julian Assange's extradition trial will be delivered, and honestly, I can't bring myself to think that today we are celebrating the birth of the key to humanity's freedom and tomorrow, a man who did nothing wrong and has been deprived of his freedom may be stripped away of all his human rights. I've been thinking a lot about this, especially after chatting with @Stella and John Shipton last year. They really opened my eyes to how messed up this whole situation is. If you're curious, check out our full talk here: https://youtu.be/ugeDIda5Zac I hope tomorrow's verdict brings Julian closer to being freed and back with his family. But this isn't the end of the road for Assange. His final appeal in London's High Court is set for February. This could be his last chance to avoid extradition to the United States, where he faces serious charges. This moment is key, not just for Assange but for journalism and civil liberties worldwide. If you're in the US, this is your call to action. Hit up your congressperson. Tell them to push Biden to drop all charges against Assange. Your voice can make a difference. With this, I want to say that even though I'm totally blown away and super thankful for Bitcoin turning 15 today, it's tough to really get into the party mood. Knowing there are so many freedom fighters out there getting their wings clipped, it hits hard... We could be next... Today isn't just about partying and celebrating for me. Today, I'm all about standing up to the establishment, reminding them they can't shut us down. We've got to keep fighting every single day, but especially on days like today, especially every January 3rd.

He will most likely be extradited to stand trial. Being in court is like a double edged sword. Would he be on trial or would he later be used as a material witness? Once his testimony is in the courts he or his words can be used in other cases. Bringing Assange to testify will surely blow up in their face. This is the same administration that attempts to arrest their political opponents.