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I think in this case politically motivated would mean something more like "Assange is a journalist sympathetic towards Biden so we're trying to get him for tax

by PJDK 6y ago

I think in this case politically motivated would mean something more like "Assange is a journalist sympathetic towards Biden so we're trying to get him for tax fraud". In this case it's "Assange is working for Russian Intelligence against the interests of the US let's get him for a specific crime he committed towards that end". You can of course disagree with the Russian asset part of the statement, but I don't think that qualifies as "politically motivated" in the kind of sense it would (or should) bother an extradition hearing.

DiogenesKynikos 6y ago
He published material that embarrassed the US government - information like the US government spying on the UN, American helicopter pilots killing Reuters journalists in Baghdad (and the US military then covering it up), and the US tolerating and working with Shiite death squads in Iraq. When governments go after people for publishing embarrassing truths, that's political. Everyone knows why the US government wants Assange behind bars. The CIA Director / Secretary of State made it abundantly clear in his speech that the US intends to go after Assange in order to send a message that the 1st Amendment is no barrier to prosecuting journalists for what they publish. The UK prosecutor is playing dumb.