President Biden is considering dropping the prosecution of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who has been fighting extradition to the United States for years. Assange, who has been jailed in London, faces charges related to his publication of classified documents.
Biden made the statement in response to a request from Assange’s home country of Australia to allow him to return there. The embattled publisher has been detained for nearly five years and faces 18 counts of violating the Espionage Act for publishing sensitive military and diplomatic information.
The case has garnered international attention and condemnation from First Amendment rights groups. Australia’s parliament passed a motion calling for Assange’s release, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussing the matter with Biden last fall.
In a recent ruling, the High Court in London stated that Assange could not be immediately extradited to the U.S. until certain conditions were met. The U.S. has three weeks to provide assurances that Assange’s rights will be protected, including freedom of speech and a guarantee that he will not face the death penalty.
The potential dropping of the prosecution marks a significant development in the long-standing legal battle surrounding Assange’s case. Stay tuned for further updates on this evolving story.
