Compassion for a convicted terrorist but none for Julian Assange?

In 2009, the semi-autonomous Scottish Government with the apparent consent of the British government, released Abdelbaset al-Megrahi from prison. He was convicted for being the mastermind of the terrorist bombing of PAN AM flight 103 which crashed over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all those on board. Many in the west still believe he was indeed guilty of the crime and many still resent his early release on compassionate grounds.

I, like many others, believe that the actual perpetrators were members of a group called The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command. But let’s just assume that al-Megrahi was indeed the man responsible for the atrocity. Although controversial, his release happened and the incident died down as a political matter shortly thereafter.

Julian Assange is currently imprisoned in all but name in an Ecuadorian Embassy in London. In this sense, whilst Mr. Assange is legally on the sovereign territory of Ecuador, it is the same Britain which imprisoned and then freed al-Megrahi, that is now imprisoning, him.

Whilst al-Megrahi was convicted of a terrorist act and never had his conviction overturned, Julian Assange has not been convicted of any crime nor even been charged with a one. He is a political prisoner. To most of the world though, he is also a political hero and he ought to be a hero of Donald Trump as well, for it was Wikileaks more than anyone else who revealed the truly criminal nature of Hilary Clinton, The Clinton Foundation and those who associate with her and her husband.

The fact that a man many believe to be a terrorist was allowed to die in peace and freedom but Julian Assange, a man who most people feel is a valiant journalist, is not entitled to the same compassion, exposes a deep flaw in the system. There is simply no justice in a system that has its priorities so bent out of shape.

Although it is putatively Sweden and Britain who are haranguing Mr. Assange, the entire political witch hunt derives from the same Obama administration which has jailed Bradley Manning and forced Edward Snowden to seek asylum in Russia, a country which knows a bit more about justice than the America of Obama and Hillary.

If Donald Trump wants to close this vicious chapter in American history, he must give each of these three men the same liberty afforded to a convicted terrorist in Britain.