Joe Biden says considering Australia’s request to drop prosecution of WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange
- Australian Julian Assange has been held in Britain since 2019 while fighting extradition to the United States
- He has been indicted by the US over his role in the 2010 leaking of a huge trove of classified documents
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he is considering a request from Australia to drop the decade-long US push to prosecute WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing a trove of American classified documents.
For years, Australia has called on the US to drop its prosecution against Assange, an Australian citizen who has fought US extradition efforts from prison in the UK.
Asked about the request on Wednesday, as he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official visit, Biden said: “We’re considering it”.
Assange has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of a trove of classified US documents almost 15 years ago.
02:21
Family and supporters of Julian Assange rally for his release in Sydney
American prosecutors allege that Assange, 52, encouraged and helped US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published, putting lives at risk.
Australia argues there is a disconnect between the US treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-US President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017.
