Stuttgart Peace Prize 2020 Goes to Journalist Julian Assange

Germany’s NGO Die AnStifter Wednesday granted the Stuttgart Peace Prize 2020 to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who remains detained in the Belmarsh prison in London.

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The Stuttgart Peace Prize is awarded annually to people or projects who are particularly committed to peace, justice, and solidarity.  

In 2019, this prize was awarded to German non-profit organization Sea-Watch, which rescues migrants, while in 2014, U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden won the award.

The award for Assange is “a sign that the right to unconditional freedom of information and the press is not only protected but enforced,” the Die AnStifter chairwoman Annette Ohme-Reinicke said.

The award is expected to be granted to the Australian journalist in December. A total of 26 people and institutions were nominated to receive the recognition. Assange got 310 votes in favor, followed by Reporters Without Borders (258), and the Zic Zac sewing studio (227).

The Australian-born journalist has been in the Belmarsh high-security prison in the United Kingdom. He is awaiting extradition to the United States on espionage charges, which could sentence him to a 175-year prison term.

Ten years ago, WikiLeaks released the largest leak of classified documents in the history of journalism. Over 700,000 files and diplomatic cables exposed the atrocities committed by U.S. troops during their military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.