Albanese Calls for an End to Assange Case as US Considers Dropping Charges"

Following hints that the US may drop charges against Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, Anthony Albanese has said, "Enough is enough." After US President Joe Biden said, "We are considering it," in response to Australian requests to halt the hunt for Assange, the prime minister declared it was time to put an end to the protracted controversy.

In a skynews interview, Mr. Albanese said ,"Well, they're certainly encouraging. And we have raised the case of Mr Assange at all levels of government, and we've used all of our diplomatic efforts at every level to communicate that it is time that this was brought to a close. Enough is enough. There's nothing to be served by the ongoing incarceration of Mr Assange, and we want Mr Assange to be able to return home”.

The PM said these are complex issues because of the separation of powers that's there between the political system and the judiciary, and in this case, the Department of Justice in the United States. But we continue to use all avenues at our disposal, as we do in speaking up for Australian citizens, where we've been successful in the cases of Sean Turnell and Cheng Lei, and we continue to make representations on behalf of Australians.

“Well, I'm increasingly optimistic about an outcome, but one certainly has not been delivered yet. We'll continue to argue the case at every opportunity that we have, through every forum that we have and through every level of personnel that we have as well. Whether that be political, whether it be diplomatic. We've worked and engaged very closely with Julian Assange's legal team over a long period of time and this is something I spoke about in Opposition. I said enough was enough. I've had exactly the same position as Prime Minister and have raised it at every opportunity.” Mr. Albanese added.

Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, commented on US President Joe Biden’s comment that they were considering dropping the prosecution of Australian journalist Julian Assange.

“The comment from President Joe Biden that they were considering the call from the Australian Government to drop the prosecution of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is encouraging,” Mr Wilkie said.

“In February, the Australian House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of my motion calling on the United Kingdom and United States governments to bring this matter to an end and to allow Mr Assange to return home. The vote, which was supported by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Cabinet, marked an unprecedented show of political support for Mr Assange and echoes the sentiment in the Australian community that enough is enough. Obviously these signals are resonating in the White House and people can get some comfort that the US Government is listening to the Australian Government.

“This matter has always been deeply political. Mr Assange is an award-winning Australian journalist who is being punished and pursued by the US for simply doing his job and telling the truth. The man should be lauded as a hero, not rotting away in a cell. It’s time for the US to demonstrate the strong bi-lateral relationship with Australia and drop the prosecution of Mr Assange.” Mr Wilkie said.

Nothing is free like a free press. Give now to help sustain independent journalism in your community.

It's evident from recent events that there has never been a better moment to support local news. Donate now to help sustain independent reporting.

In a letter, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has urged Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to publicly urge the US government to drop its charges against Julian Assange. The letter was sent today, the fifth anniversary of Assange's imprisonment in the UK, and it follows last month's conditional approval of the WikiLeaks founder's appeal against extradition orders.“We are writing to urge you in the strongest possible terms to take immediate public action to demand the United States government drop the charges against Julian Assange so he can resume life as a free man in Australia,” says MEAA Media Federal President Karen Percy.

“This week marks five years since Mr Assange’s detention in Belmarsh Prison began.

“In those five years his health has significantly deteriorated and his prospects for living a free life have declined.

“The recent decision by the United Kingdom High Court to conditionally grant Assange leave to appeal against the 2022 extradition order is a small and unsatisfactory reprieve.

“The only certainty that can ensure Julian Assange’s freedom is a decision by the United States government to drop the charges.

MEAA welcomed the recent decision by the Albanese government to support Andrew Wilkie’s motion calling on the House of Representatives to recognise the importance of bringing Julian Assange’s extradition to an end and allowing him to return home, and acknowledged the advocacy of the Prime Minister and government ministers in raising the case with their US counterparts.

“However, as we draw closer the US Presidential election, the opportunity for a satisfactory resolution to this case diminish,” Ms Percy said.

“Even if he is given leave to appeal, he would remain in prison for many more months, further worsening his health and wellbeing.

“Beyond our immediate and urgent concerns for Julian Assange, his extradition and prosecution by the United States would set a disturbing global precedent for the suppression of press freedom and would constitute an assault on the public’s right to know.

“It would mean that any journalist, anywhere in the world, could be charged and extradited for handling any information that the US government classifies as ‘secret’.”

Because WikiLeaks released classified US military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010, US prosecutors wish to prosecute Julian Assange on eighteen counts, primarily related to the Espionage Act. In order to avoid being charged with espionage in the US, Assange is fighting extradition in the UK High Court. The US was ordered by the court in March to guarantee that Assange would not be executed.

Any news tip ?

Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.