The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has officially recognized WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as a political prisoner following a vote on Wednesday, Radio France Internationale reported.
The decision came after Assange addressed the council's human rights committee on Tuesday, marking his first public appearance since his release from the United Kingdom's Belmarsh Prison in June and after reaching an agreement with the United States on the island of Saipan.
Assange, whose website published thousands of leaked diplomatic cables, had spent over five years behind bars before pleading guilty to a charge under the U.S. Espionage Act. In his speech to PACE, Assange stated he had "pleaded guilty to journalism."
"Justice for me is now precluded as the U.S. government insisted on writing into its plea agreement that I cannot file a case at the European Court of Human Rights or even a Freedom of Information Act request over what it did to me as a result of its extradition request," Assange said.
"I want to be totally clear: I am not free today because the system worked. I am free today [after] years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism."
The WikiLeaks founder added, "The criminalization of newsgathering activities is a threat to investigative journalism everywhere."
Following his address, PACE lawmakers passed a resolution declaring that Assange had been subjected to "more than a decade of politically motivated prosecution for his journalistic work." The vote passed with 88 in favor, 13 against, and 20 abstentions, sparking applause in the chamber.
The resolution stated that Assange's treatment has had a "chilling effect" on journalists worldwide and condemned British officials for failing "to effectively protect Mr Assange's freedom of expression and right to liberty."
The resolution also condemned reports of covert surveillance by the CIA during Assange's asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, including alleged plans to poison and assassinate him. PACE urged the British government to conduct an independent investigation.
PACE lacks legislative authority to demand action from the Council of Europe, a legislative body separate from the European Union.