Julian Assange is about to see the light, maybe. President Joe Biden said the United States “is considering” Australia’s request to drop the prosecution of the WikiLeaks founder and his possible return to his home country. Mr. Assange, 52, is now battling a U.S. request of extradition, was jailed in the UK after he released a series of confidential U.S. classified military records and diplomatic cables in 2010.
“We are considering it,” President Biden said at the White House, during a press conference together with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
According to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Biden’s words open a window of hope. “I believe this must be brought to a conclusion and that 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,” he commented with ABC television.
In 2019, Mr. Assange was imprisoned in London, U.K., following his indictment by the U.S. on 18 counts of violating the Espionage Act. He released thousands of documents exposing secret military operations, diplomatic intelligence, and disclosures regarding civilian casualties in the U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, claiming his First Amendment right to do so.
In February, the Australian Prime Minister, who has consistently taken Assange’s side and opposed his detention, voted in favor of a parliamentary motion advocating for the repatriation of the WikiLeaks founder. Albanese’s administration had actively addressed the issue at all governmental levels and through various diplomatic channels, emphasizing their ongoing commitment to secure Assange’s release.
In March, Assange’s extradition was put on hold after London’s High Court said the U.S. must provide assurances he would not face the death penalty and 175-year sentence in a maximum security prison.
