WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Prosecuting the founder of WikiLeaks would set a dangerous standard for freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Washington.
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, Ind.-Conn., has called for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate The New York Times for publishing leaked documents distributed to news agencies by WikiLeaks.
WikiLeaks, with the apparent help of a U.S. soldier, has released thousands of cables disclosing U.S. diplomatic communications on everything from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to possible Chevron oil deals in Iran.
In an interview with Fox News, Lieberman said the Times "has committed at least an act of bad citizenship" and the White House is apparently looking at whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange violated provisions of the 1917 Espionage Act.
Human Rights Watch in a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama said prosecuting Assange would be a major blow to the right to free speech.
Dinah PoKempner, a lawyer at Human Rights Watch, said this is a "signature moment" for free expression.
"Prosecuting WikiLeaks for publishing leaked documents would set a terrible precedent that will be eagerly grasped by other governments, particularly those with a record of trying to muzzle legitimate political reporting," she said in a statement.
