Australian MPs to lobby US to drop Julian Assange prosecution or risk ‘very dangerous’ precedent for Russia and China

Members of the delegation who will travel to the US to campaign for the release of Julian Assange. From left: the Liberal senator Alex Antic, independent MP Monique Ryan, the Nationals’ Barnaby Joyce, Labor MPs Josh Wilson and Tony Zappia and Julian Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Julian Assange’s supporters will urge the US to drop the prosecution of the Australian citizen on the basis the “very dangerous” precedent will be exploited by China and Russia.

Six Australian politicians are expected to focus on freedom-of-speech arguments when they fly to Washington DC later this month to warn against extraditing the WikiLeaks founder from the UK.