A group of Australian lawmakers wrote to President Biden on World Press Freedom Day urging him to drop the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The lawmakers, part of the “Bring Julian Assange Home” Parliamentary Friendship Group, called on Biden to end the prosecution of Assange, who is in a U.K. prison fighting extradition to the U.S. to face espionage charges. Assange, who faces 17 counts under the Espionage Act, could potentially face up to 175 years in prison if extradited to the U.S. for publishing classified American military documents 14 years ago.
The charges against Assange were brought by both the Trump and Biden administrations over WikiLeaks’ 2010 publication of cables leaked by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. The information detailed alleged war crimes committed by the U.S. government in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay, as well as instances of CIA engaging in torture and rendition. President Biden recently said he is considering a request from Australia to drop the charges against Assange, with Australian lawmakers urging the U.S. to discontinue the extradition process preventing Assange from returning to his family in Australia.
Assange has been held at London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison since 2019 after being removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy for breaching bail conditions. A district court judge rejected the U.S. extradition request in 2021, citing concerns over Assange’s mental health, but higher courts overturned the decision after the U.S. provided assurances about his treatment. Assange’s lawyers have been fighting against his extradition, seeking the opportunity for a full appeal following a May 20 hearing, where assurances were made that Assange would not face new charges leading to the death penalty.
President Obama in 2013 decided not to indict Assange for WikiLeaks’ 2010 publication of classified cables, noting that it would have had to indict journalists from major news outlets who published the same materials. Manning’s sentence was commuted by Obama in 2017, and many press freedom groups argue that Assange’s prosecution sets a dangerous precedent intended to criminalize journalism. Some Australian lawmakers have called for Assange to be freed, emphasizing the importance of bringing the matter to a close to allow Assange to return home to his family in Australia.
Reporters Without Borders, the National Press Club, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation are among the press freedom groups urging Congress to pass the bipartisan PRESS Act to prevent the federal government from compelling journalists to reveal their sources and confidential work. Many journalists around the world are facing legal cases for their work, with calls for their release and the protection of press freedom. The U.S. was downgraded in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with concerns about the arrest and prosecution of journalists and growing distrust fueled by irresponsible political rhetoric.
