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Australian PM 'frustrated' over Assange imprisonment in UK

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 May 2023 16:08
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The Australian Prime Minister says the Assange case could be resolved before US President Joe Biden's visit to Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during the Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices in Sydney, Australia, July 8, 2022. (AP)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday voiced frustration over the failure of the government to provide a diplomatic solution to end WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange's imprisonment

Assange, 51 years old, has been in a high-security United Kingdom prison for the past four years as he fights for his freedom.

"I continue to say in private what I said publicly as Labor leader and what I’ve said as prime minister, that enough is enough," Albanese told ABC News over the continued imprisonment of Assange.

"It needs to be worked through, we're working through diplomatic channels, we're making very clear what our position is on Mr. Assange's case."

He continued, "I know it's frustrating. I share the frustration. I can't do more than make very clear what my position is. And the US administration is certainly very aware of what the Australian government's position is."

Albanese further expressed his concern about Assange's mental health.

"I am concerned about Mr. Assange's mental health. There was a court decision here in the United Kingdom that was then overturned on appeal that went to Mr. Assange's health as well, and I am concerned for him," he told the Australian broadcaster.

Julian Assange's lawyer recently cited suicide as a possible outcome if the Australian is extradited to the #US on his espionage charges.
Here's a timeline of some key dates from Assange’s life.#JulianAssange #FreeAssange pic.twitter.com/FTSGibxwQO
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 30, 2021

The Australian PM indicated that the issue could be resolved before US President Joe Biden's visit to Australia.

Biden is scheduled to travel to Australia for the Quad Leaders' Summit in Sydney later this month and meet with the Australian Prime Minister.

When asked if he would raise Assange's case with the US President, Albanese declined to give a clear answer, stressing that he prefers not to disclose details of future discussions.

Last month, Australian federal MPs asked US Attorney General Merrick Garland to drop efforts to extradite Julian Assange from the UK.

The 48 senators and representatives, 13 of whom are from the ruling Labor party, warned that the hunt for the WikiLeaks founder "set a dangerous precedent" for press freedom and would harm the US reputation.

Assange, an Australian citizen, is still detained in Belmarsh prison in London as he resists a US request to extradite him to stand trial on charges related to the release of tens of thousands of leaked diplomatic papers about the atrocities of US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.