Dear Friends,

Access denied! On 4 April, at the last minute, the governor of Belmarsh Prison in London prevented RSF from visiting Julian Assange despite official permission having been granted.

We are deeply disappointed by this arbitrary decision, despite following all relevant prison procedures and rules. Julian Assange has the right to receive visitors in prison, and we are legitimate to visit him as a press freedom NGO. We call for an urgent reversal of this decision and to be allowed visitation access without further delay.

This is the latest in a long series of ludicrous obstacles that we have faced in our work around the extradition proceedings that have taken place over the past three years. But we continue to campaign for Assange's release as a global priority because this case matters so tremendously for journalism and press freedom around the world.

Thank you for your support for our campaign to #FreeAssange and our global fight for press freedom!