Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, could be closer to coming back to his home country, Australia. The US President Joe Biden has expressed that he is considering dropping the prosecution against Assange, in accordance with Australia’s request. Recently backed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the country’s parliament passed a measure calling for the return of Assange, who is currently being held in Belmarsh prison in the UK as he fights against his extradition.
The charges against Assange stem from his publication of military records that were leaked by whistleblowers. The US government maintains that his actions are criminal and want to charge him on 18 counts, under almost all provisions of the Espionage Act. Assange, however, maintains that his publication was an act of journalism, and he denies all charges of criminality.
With Assange’s extradition having been put on hold in March, resulting from London’s High Court demand that the US provide assurance that the death penalty will not be visited on Assange, the latest developments show a potential for progress. Assange’s supporters and family have called for Biden to drop the charges against Assange and allow him to return home to Australia.
At present, things are yet to be settled, but the possibility of Assange’s future release appears promising. Whatever happens, his status as an important figure in the public understanding of information dissemination, journalism, and freedom of the press cannot be denied, and his case remains a central moral and political concern for journalists and civil society actors worldwide
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More