Biden considers request to drop Assange case
White House responds to pressure from Australia as Wikileaks founder fights extradition to the US
JOE BIDEN is “considering” a request to drop Julian Assange’s prosecution after judges ruled the Wikileaks founder could have grounds to appeal against his extradition to the US.
Mr Assange, who was charged with multiple counts of espionage in 2019, has been imprisoned in HMP Belmarsh for five years, while an extradition battle plays out in the courts.
It comes amid reports that the US
Government could offer the Australian a plea deal, having repeatedly argued that he compromised intelligence sources around the world when Wikileaks released almost half a million documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Asked about Australia’s request that he end the prosecution of Mr Assange, Mr Biden told reporters at the White House: “We’re considering it”.
Last month, the High Court dismissed most of the legal arguments against the Wikileaks founder’s extradition. However, it said the Biden administration must issue assurances, including that Mr Assange will not face the death penalty.
It has until early next week to give those assurances, which will be followed by a final hearing in mid-may. Otherwise, the judges ruled that Mr Assange will have grounds to appeal.after the ruling, Mr Assange’s wife, Stella, rejected the idea that the US could issue “so-called diplomatic assurances”.
She told Sky News: “The courts have identified three major obstacles to Julian’s extradition but they’ve asked for a political intervention from the US Government to address these issues.
“There is no assurance that the US can give that will keep Julian safe from what he is exposed to.”
“If he is taken to the United States he will be placed under conditions of extreme isolation which could – and will – drive him to commit suicide,” she added. A British judge ruled in 2021 that the publisher should not be extradited because of the risk he could commit suicide in a US prison, but this was overturned on appeal. There were signs last month that the US stance was beginning to soften amid reports that officials were drawing up a plea deal with Mr Assange’s lawyers.
Under the terms of the agreement, he would plead guilty to mishandling classified information, the Wall Street Journal reported. The charge carries a lighter sentence than espionage.
Mr Assange would be able to plead remotely, removing the need for him to appear in a US court, and time served in Britain would count towards his sentence. Officials were reportedly putting together plans for a plea deal with Mr Assange’s lawyers, but had not yet reached an agreement by last month.
Barry Pollack, an attorney for Mr Assange in New York, has cast doubt on whether his client would plead guilty. In February, the US justice department claimed information released by Mr Assange had compromised intelligence sources across the globe.
The same month, Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, backed a motion calling for the return of Mr Assange to his homeland.
Declaring “enough is enough”, Mr Albanese said he had raised the case “at the highest levels” in Britain and the US.
“It is appropriate for us to put our very strong view that those countries need to take into account the need for this to be concluded,” he said, after the motion passed Australia’s lower house.
“Regardless of where people stand, this thing cannot just go on and on and on indefinitely.”
‘There is no assurance that the US can give that will keep Julian safe from what he is exposed to’
‘Regardless of where people stand, this thing cannot just go on and on and on indefinitely’