Biden ‘contemplating’ Australian request to drop case in opposition to Assange | Espionage Information

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says US president’s feedback encouraging.

United States President Joe Biden has mentioned he’s “contemplating” a request by Australia to finish the decade-long push to prosecute WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over the discharge of troves of categorized paperwork.

Australia’s parliament in February handed a movement calling for the discharge of Assange with the backing of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Assange, an Australian citizen, has been held in the UK since 2019 as he fights extradition to the US to face espionage costs.

Earlier than he was remanded at Belmarsh Jail in London, Assange spent seven years holed up within the Ecuadoran Embassy to keep away from extradition to Sweden, the place he confronted a since-abandoned sexual assault investigation.

Requested about Australia’s request on Wednesday, Biden mentioned, “We’re contemplating it.”

Biden, who made the remark in Washington, DC, whereas assembly with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, didn’t elaborate.

Albanese mentioned Biden’s remarks had been encouraging and the problem “must be dropped at a conclusion”.

“Mr. Assange has already paid a big value and sufficient is sufficient. There’s nothing to be gained by Mr. Assange’s continued incarceration in my very robust view and I’ve put that because the view of the Australian authorities,” Albanese advised the Australian Broadcasting Company.

Assange’s spouse Stella in a social media publish known as on Biden to “do the appropriate factor” and drop the costs.

Assange, 52, has been indicted on 17 costs of espionage and one cost of pc misuse over his position within the 2010 leaking of categorized paperwork associated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If convicted, he faces as much as 175 years in jail.

Assange’s prosecution has been extensively denounced by press freedom and human rights teams, together with Amnesty Worldwide and Reporters With out Borders.

The Excessive Courtroom in London final month delayed a choice on Assange’s extradition pending assurances by US authorities that he wouldn’t face the loss of life penalty.

The court docket is anticipated to make a last determination on Assange’s enchantment on Might 20 after offering the US three weeks to make additional submissions within the case.