; Whereas press freedom, human rights, and privacy rights organizations across five continents sent a letter to the Government of the United Kingdom urging the immediate release of Julian Assange; Whereas previous administrations have prosecuted whistleblowers and other journalistic sources under the Espionage Act for leaking classified information, the current Department of Justice has taken the further step of going after the publisher; Whereas the successful prosecution of Julian Assange under the Espionage Act would allow the Federal Government to indict any news organization or journalist for publishing classified information, which occurs on a regular basis; and Whereas the successful prosecution of Julian Assange under the Espionage Act would have a profoundly detrimental impact on newsgathering and freedom of the press: Now, therefore, be it