WATCH: What Would Assange Face in the US? – Consortium News

The prospect of life imprisonment in the U.S. for a publisher who revealed high crimes by Washington is considered in this Courage Foundation discussion aired on Saturday.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is imprisoned in the high-security HMP Belmarsh in London as he faces extradition to the United States, where he has been indicted on 18 counts for obtaining, possessing, conspiring to publish and for publishing classified information. With the first-ever use of the Espionage Act for a publisher, the indictment represents an unprecedented attack on press freedom around the world. For Julian Assange, who could face up to 175 years in prison, a conviction could be a death sentence.

The Courage Foundation convened a panel of experts to examine what Julian Assange would endure and be up against if the United Kingdom extradites him to the U.S., from pre- and potentially post-trial prison conditions, the lack of a public interest defense under the Espionage Act, and the extremely high rate of convictions in U.S. federal courts.

Barry Pollack, Julian Assanges attorney in the U.S.

Jeffrey Sterling, CIA whistleblower who was convicted under the Espionage Act

Lauri Love, U.K. activist who successfully defeated an extradition request from the United States

Moderated by Kevin Gosztola, independent U.S. journalist at Shadowproof.com who has covered Chelsea Mannings military court martial and Julian Assanges extradition proceedings thus far.

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WATCH: What Would Assange Face in the US? - Consortium News