MP says Assange trial will reveal ‘worrying’ evidence

LIBERAL National Party MP George Christensen has foreshadowed that certain facts set to be revealed in Julian Assange’s extradition trial will cause the Australian Government to come out in support of the Wikileaks founder.

Mr Christensen and Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie

visited the 48-year-old Australian for an hour-and-ahalf in Belmarsh prison near London on Monday, one week ahead of his US extradition trial.

Assange is facing up to 175 years in a US prison on 17 spying charges, and one conspiracy to commit computer intrusion charge, over his organisation’s release of classified American diplomatic cables and Pentagon files on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, some of which revealed US war crimes.

Mr Christensen says the Australian Government has so far been reluctant to be involved, but after “certain facts” of the case come to light, they will act.

“There is more the Australian Government can do, and I think when we hear some of the stuff that’s going to come to light next week, there’s more that will be done,” he said.

Mr Christensen, who was also briefed by Assange’s legal team, indicated the public’s perception of the case would also shift.

“There’s information that I now know, that will be known next week, that will probably make people sit up straight and worry about this a hell of a lot,” he said. Both politicians described Assange as “a man under serious pressure” given his confinement and the possible sentence awaiting him in the US.