SYDNEY: Penny Wong, Australia’s Foreign Minister, said on Saturday that the long-running case of imprisoned Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had gone on too long and needed to be resolved.
Assange, an Australian citizen detained in the United Kingdom, is fighting extradition to the United States, where he is wanted on 18 counts related to the 2010 publication of sensitive US military records and diplomatic cables.
Wong stated at a press conference in Brisbane following an Australia-US meeting that Canberra had made it plain that “Mr. Assange’s case has dragged for far too long, and our desire that it be brought to a conclusion.”
Speaking alongside Defence Minister Richard Marles, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, he noted that public and private representations had been made on Assange’s behalf, but that there were limits to what could be done until his legal processes completed.
“I understand that Mr. Assange has filed an appeal renewal application in the United Kingdom.” “We are not a party to these legal proceedings, and we cannot intervene,” she stated.
Blinken revealed that Assange’s case had been addressed during bilateral talks, adding he understood Australians’ concerns about the sensitive matter. “Mr. Assange was charged in the United States with very serious criminal conduct in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country,” Blinken said during the press conference.
“The actions he is accused of committing pose a serious threat to our national security.”
Australia is supporting a campaign to free Assange before he is extradited to the United States. In May, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that he was “frustrated” by the prolonged detention.
Source: Reuters