Australian lawmakers have written to President Biden on World Press Freedom Day, urging him to drop charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Assange is currently in a U.K. prison fighting extradition to the U.S. for publishing classified American military documents 14 years ago. The lawmakers, representing the 'Bring Julian Assange Home' Parliamentary Friendship Group, called for an end to Assange's prosecution, highlighting his prolonged imprisonment without conviction on substantial charges.
Assange, facing 17 counts under the Espionage Act, could potentially face up to 175 years in a maximum security prison if extradited to the U.S. The charges stem from WikiLeaks' 2010 publication of cables leaked by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. The Biden administration has continued the prosecution initiated by the Trump administration.
