CANBERRA, Australia —
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to Australian demands for an end to the persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Saturday, saying the Australian citizen was charged with “very serious criminal misconduct” for posting a set of confidential documents over a decade ago.
Australia’s centre-left Labor Party government has argued since winning elections last year that the United States must end its persecution of the 52-year-old journalist, who has spent four years in a British prison fighting his extradition to the United States. Joined.
Assange’s freedom is seen as a test of Australia’s influence over the government of US President Joe Biden.
Blinken confirmed on Saturday that Assange had been raised in annual talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in Brisbane, Australia.
“I understand the concerns and opinions of Australians. I think it is very important that our friends here understand our concerns on this matter,” Blinken told reporters.
“Mr. Assange was charged with very serious criminal misconduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest leaks of confidential information in the history of our country,” it added.
Wong said that Assange’s prosecution had “taken too long” and that Australia wanted the charges “to come to a conclusion”.
Australia remains ambiguous about whether the United States should drop the prosecution or settle.
Assange faces 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer misuse for WikiLeaks’ release of hundreds of thousands of confidential diplomatic and military documents in 2010.
US prosecutors allege he helped US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and classified military files that WikiLeaks later released, putting lives in danger.
Australia argues that there is a “disconnect” between the US treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-US President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, allowing her to be released in 2017.
2023-07-30 00:13:39
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