London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

‘They have to follow US orders’: Chomsky says ‘subservient’ Britain's involvement in US persecution of Assange is ‘scandalous’

‘They have to follow US orders’: Chomsky says ‘subservient’ Britain's involvement in US persecution of Assange is ‘scandalous’

Philosopher Noam Chomsky has condemned the UK’s part in the United States’ persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, calling it the “ultimate in subservience” and a deliberate attempt at torture.

“The whole effort to punish Assange is grotesque,” said Chomsky during a Declassified UK interview this week, calling Washington’s attempt to extradite the jailed journalist “outrageous.”

Chomsky singled out the UK over its involvement however, declaring, “Britain’s participation in this has been scandalous.”


Assange has been imprisoned at the maximum security prison HMP Belmarsh since being hauled out of London’s Ecuadorian embassy more than two years ago.

Chomsky claimed that Assange’s treatment in the prison “amounts to torture,” and noted that the UN’s rapporteur on torture has already described it as such. The linguist and academic called the WikiLeaks founder’s imprisonment an “effort to destroy him” and argued that “people can’t survive that kind of thing.”

“Britain is doing it because they have to follow US orders. That’s the ultimate in subservience,” Chomsky said. “Even if we have to torture somebody, because you guys want to throw him into prison for life for having informed Americans of what they ought to know in the first place, we’re going to help torture him.”

Assange – an Australian citizen – has been accused of violating the US Espionage Act for leaking classified information and evidence of US war crimes, and if found guilty could be sentenced to 170 years in prison.

Chomsky concluded that though Assange’s imprisonment is “not the worst crime in history” since Britain is responsible for “far more crimes, worse crimes than that,” it’s still “a particularly ugly one” currently being committed.

In January, during an interview with RT, Chomsky said that “just as you can’t get the Republican mobs to admit that the election was lost, you can’t get liberal American intellectuals to recognize that the United States is a leading terrorist state.”

During the same month, a UK judge ruled that Assange could not be extradited to the US due to concerns over his deteriorating mental health and potential treatment in an American maximum-security prison. The US is appealing the decision.

Last year, a group of current and former world leaders called on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to release Assange and refuse the US’ extradition request.

The letter was signed by Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, along with former presidents and prime ministers of multiple other Latin American countries, as well as elected officials from the UK, Australia, Germany, Norway and other European states.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×