Australian govt rejects calls seeking WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange's release

After a British court cleared the way for Julian Assange to be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges, the Australian government is staring down calls to intervene to secure WikiLeaks co-founder's freedom, The Guardian reported on Sunday.

Assange, an Australian citizen, is facing espionage charges in the US and has been imprisoned in the United Kingdom after being detained for violating bail conditions. However, a UK court granted US' extradition request for Assange on Friday, December 10.

The Australian government stated that it was keeping a careful eye on the case, but that it would continue to respect the legal process in the UK, including any subsequent appeals under UK law. It further said that Australia was not a party to the case and it is for Assange to decide how to respond to the court's ruling. 

Meanwhile, the court's decision has also set the stage for Priti Patel, the British home secretary, to decide whether Assange should be extradited to the US.

It has further prompted calls for the Australian government to take action, with independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison to demand Assange's release from the UK and the US. 

The Australian Labor Party believes the issue has lingered on far too long and that the Morrison government should make possible efforts to persuade the US government to resolve it. 

According to Australia's Foreign Ministry, the government continued to provide Assange with consular support and asked for his permission to speak with the prison officials about his state of health but he did not respond, reported Guardian.

Assange lodged in UK's Belmarsh prison since 2019

It should be mentioned here that a UK court had rejected US' extradition request in January, ruling that there was a real and "oppressive" risk of suicide. However, after a two-day hearing, the UK High Court granted US' appeal on December 10.

Meanwhile, Assange's lawyers are mulling over challenging the ruling at the UK Supreme Court. After being detained outside the Ecuadorian embassy for breaking his bail conditions, Assange has been lodged in the UK's Belmarsh prison since 2019. He had entered the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges of sex offences, which were later dropped.

Image: AP