Australian Prime Minister criticizes legal pursuit of Assange by the U.S. and UK

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese strongly criticized the prolonged legal efforts by the United States and Britain against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, ahead of an upcoming court decision on his extradition appeal. Albanese stated on Thursday that the nation collectively believes “enough is enough.” Assange, aged 52, holds Australian citizenship.

Albanese stated to parliament that individuals may hold varying opinions regarding Mr Assange’s actions but emphasised that the prolonged legal proceedings cannot continue indefinitely, as Assange, an Australian citizen, is set to appear in London’s High Court next week to seek leave to appeal his extradition to the United States on espionage charges.

Judges at London’s High Court are scheduled to announce their decision regarding Assange’s appeal against extradition to the United States during a hearing on February 20 and 21. Assange, who has spent five years in London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, has been resisting extradition to the U.S., where he faces criminal charges related to the disclosure of confidential military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010. Washington contends that the release of these documents jeopardised lives. Assange was arrested following a seven-year stay in Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he sought refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden over accusations of sexual assault, which were later dismissed.

Geoffrey Robertson, a former legal advisor to Assange, expressed the view that the whistleblower has endured significant hardship. He mentioned that Assange had disclosed information available to millions of servicemen and officials about American policy and war crimes committed by the U.S., resulting in repercussions. Robertson characterised Australia’s parliamentary motion as a “wake-up call” for Washington, anticipating that the case would continue even after the ruling next week. He suggested that Assange might ultimately have the opportunity to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights for an interim order to suspend his extradition.

 

Albanese stated that the Australian government is responsible for advocating for its citizens and mentioned that he had discussed the issue “at the highest levels” with officials in Britain and the U.S. He emphasised that while Australia should refrain from interfering in the legal proceedings of other nations, it is appropriate to strongly assert that those countries must consider the necessity of concluding the matter. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, MP Andrew Wilkie remarked that the parliamentary motion conveyed a strong message that Australia is unified on the issue. He added that regardless of personal opinions about Mr Assange, justice is currently not being served in this case.