President Joe Biden has indicated that he is contemplating a request from Australia to halt the long-standing U.S. pursuit of prosecuting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for releasing a cache of classified American documents. Assange, an Australian citizen, has been resisting U.S. extradition attempts from a U.K. prison.
Australia has persistently urged the U.S. to abandon its prosecution of Assange, who faces 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse for publishing classified U.S. documents nearly 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege that Assange assisted U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining diplomatic cables and military files that were later published by WikiLeaks, endangering lives.
There is a notable contrast in the treatment of Assange and Manning by the U.S. government. While Manning had her 35-year sentence commuted by former President Barack Obama, leading to her release in 2017, Assange remains entangled in legal battles.
Supporters of Assange argue that he is a journalist shielded by the First Amendment, who exposed U.S. military misconduct in Iraq and Afghanistan that was of public interest. Assange's wife, Stella Assange, has expressed concerns about his deteriorating health in prison and fears that he may not survive his incarceration.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed Biden's consideration of the request to end Assange's prosecution, emphasizing that Assange has already paid a significant price and should not face further incarceration. Albanese has reiterated Australia's stance that continuing to detain Assange serves no purpose.
WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson has urged President Biden to drop the charges against Assange, highlighting that doing so would safeguard freedom of expression and the rights of journalists worldwide. Hrafnsson emphasized that journalism should not be treated as a criminal act.
A recent ruling by a British court stated that Assange cannot be extradited to the U.S. on espionage charges unless U.S. authorities guarantee that he will not face the death penalty.
