Comment – Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, 21 May 2024
United Kingdom High Court of Justice’s decision to grant Julian Assange permission to appeal against his extradition to the United States of America.
“It’s wonderful news that Julian Assange has been granted permission to appeal his extradition to the United States,” Mr Wilkie said. “Mr Assange’s case will now go to the Court of Appeal, where I hope for success so he can be reunited with his family and allowed to return to Australia.
“Mind you it never should have come to this, because Mr Assange should never have been charged for Wikileaks’ astonishing revelations of egregious United States misconduct, including war crimes. Mr Assange is an award-winning Australian journalist who is being dragged through the mud by the US for simply doing his job and telling the truth. The man should be lauded as a hero, not rotting away in a cell.
“The court’s decision overnight also gives the Australian and US governments, and indeed Mr Assange and the US Department of Justice, more time to negotiate to have the charges dropped or at least a deal to be struck.
“In any case this matter has gone on for far too long and millions of people around the world are saying enough is enough. Indeed the majority of the Australian Parliament, including the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, voted in favour of my motion calling on the UK and US Governments to bring this to an end and to let Julian return to Australia.”
Mr Wilkie is a co-chair of the parliamentary Julian Assange group and has twice travelled to London in support of Mr Assange.
Media release – Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 21 May 2024
Biden must act to end Assange prosecution now
The decision by the United Kingdom High Court to allow Julian Assange to appeal against his extradition to the United States is a welcome step forward but US President Joe Biden should take action to free Assange now, says the union for Australia’s journalists.
But the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance remains concerned that there is no certainty an appeal will be successful, which would mean Assange could still be tried for espionage in the US.
The High Court was correct in not accepting “assurances” by the US about how Assange would be treated in the US legal system, MEAA says.
But MEAA urges President Biden to intervene to end the prosecution of Assange to avoid dragging the case out even longer.
“Tonight’s decision by the High Court is a small win for Julian Assange and for the cause of media freedom worldwide,” said MEAA Media Federal President Karen Percy.
“It means that Assange still might avoid being tried in the US for practicing journalism through the important work of Wikileaks in exposing war crimes in Iraq and other wrongdoing.
“MEAA welcomes the decision of the High Court, but we remain concerned that there is no guarantee of success.
“The appeal may not be heard until late this year or even next year. In the meantime, his mental and physical wellbeing is deteriorating.
“The only clear path to freedom is for the US to drop the charges, end its prosecution and allow him to be released from jail.
“President Biden has the power to do this by the stroke of a pen. Last month, he said his administration was ‘considering’ Assange’s case. It is now time to resolve it.
“Media freedom continues to be imperiled the longer this case drags on.
“The stories published by WikiLeaks and other outlets more than a decade ago were clearly in the public interest. The ongoing prosecution is curtailing free speech, criminalising journalism and sending a clear message to future whistleblowers and publishers that they too will be punished.
“If the US government can extradite a citizen of another country, from anywhere in the world for publishing factual information it sets a dangerous precedent that will have a profoundly chilling effect on investigative journalism.
“It will discourage journalists and whistleblowers from exposing vital information in the public interest.”
“We call on the Australian government to keep up the pressure on the US to drop the charges so Julian Assange can be reunited with his family.”
