US President Biden ‘considering’ dropping Assange charges
United States President Joe Biden says he is “considering” a request from Australia to drop the prosecution of Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks founder has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of classified U.S. documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars almost 15 years ago. The Australian national was taken to Belmarsh prison in London five years ago, after being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy, where he stayed while fighting against being taken to the US. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 It is 15 years. It would be, of course, more wonderful for Julian and his two little children
00:09 than Stella. But, you know, we take what we can get these days.
00:16 United States President Joe Biden says he is considering a request from Australia to
00:21 drop the prosecution of Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks founder has been indicted on 17
00:27 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website's publication of classified
00:33 US documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars almost 15 years ago.
00:40 The Australian national spent nearly seven years at the Ecuadorian embassy in London,
00:45 where he applied for political asylum. Police dragged him from the embassy to Belmarsh prison
00:50 exactly five years ago today, after the South American country revoked his asylum. He remains
00:57 in a lengthy legal battle to avoid extradition. Australia's prime minister has welcomed President
01:03 Biden's encouraging statement.
01:05 Mr Assange has already paid a significant price and enough is enough. There's nothing
01:12 to be gained by Mr Assange's continued incarceration in my very strong view. And I've put that
01:20 as the view of the Australian government.
01:23 WikiLeaks current editor-in-chief says leaders and organisations from around the world are
01:28 supporting the campaign to free Assange.
01:31 All the major organisations that are considering themselves with freedom of speech and freedom
01:36 of the press agrees that Julian's case is an attack on press freedom. So it's the right
01:42 thing to do for the Biden administration, especially now when he's going into election
01:46 in the fall, to terminate this process, which was started by his predecessor, Donald Trump.
01:53 Britain's High Court ruled last month that Assange cannot be extradited to the United
01:58 States on espionage charges unless US authorities can guarantee he won't face the death penalty,
02:05 which prompted this response from his wife.
02:08 The UK courts have invited the United States to issue assurances that Biden administration
02:14 should not issue assurances. They should drop this shameful case that should never have
02:19 been brought. Julian should never have been imprisoned for a single day. This is a shame
02:24 on every democracy.
02:26 President Biden now appears to be considering that call. However, Assange is still waiting
02:32 to hear if he can launch a final appeal against extradition.
02:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]