The Socialist Equality Party is holding meetings in the UK to demand the freedom of WikiLeaks founder and journalist Julian Assange and courageous whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

Assange is being held in London’s Belmarsh maximum security prison (known as Britain’s Guantanamo) after being sentenced to 50 weeks imprisonment for a minor bail infringement dating back almost seven years.

Last week, Assange was indicted by the US Department of Justice on 17 charges under the 1917 Espionage Act. The new charges make clear that if Assange is extradited to the US from the UK, he faces the rest of his life in prison, or worse. If Assange is convicted on all counts, the sentence could be up to 175 years. Moreover, another grand jury remains empanelled to consider further charges, including potentially those that carry the death penalty.

Earlier this month, Manning was jailed by a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia for contempt of court for the second time since March, after she again refused to testify before a grand jury impanelled to bring frame-up charges against Assange.

Free Julian Assange! Free Chelsea Manning!

Leeds Saturday June 8, 2.30pmWoodhouse Community Centre197 Woodhouse StreetLeeds, LS6 2NY

Sheffield Tuesday June 11, 7pmCentral URC Church60 Norfolk StreetSheffield, S1 2JB

Glasgow Wednesday June 19, 7pmPremier Inn, George Square187 George StreetGlasgow, G1 1YU

Further meetings to be announced . We urge all to sign up today to join the campaign to win the freedom of Assange and Manning