US President Joe Biden said yesterday (Wednesday) that he is “considering” Australia’s request to end the prosecution of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who released thousands of classified US documents.
In February, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed a resolution pushed through parliament calling for 52-year-old Assange’s return to Australia.
US officials are seeking his extradition from the United Kingdom to the US, where he is wanted.
“We’re looking into it,” Biden said when asked by a reporter if he had any response to Australia’s request.
Albanese said Biden’s remarks were encouraging and the issue “needs to be brought to a conclusion”.
“Mr. Assange has already paid a significant price and enough is enough. There’s nothing to be gained by Mr. Assange’s continued incarceration in my very strong view and I’ve put that as the view of the Australian government,” Albanese told the ABC.
“Do the right thing, drop the prosecution,” stated Julian’s wife, Stella Assange, who has repeatedly warned of his deteriorating physical and mental condition and fears he will “die” if extradited. In a social media post Assange’s wife Stella called on Biden to “do the right thing” and drop the charges.
Assange’s extradition ‘frozen’
Assange’s extradition was “frozen” in March after the High Court in London ruled that the US would have to give assurances that he would not be given the death penalty.
US prosecutors want to try Assange on 18 charges – all but one under the Espionage Act – for releasing classified military and diplomatic records and cables related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and if convicted, he faces up to 175 years in prison.
