Biden considering Australia's request to drop prosecution of Wikileaks founder
Source: ABC News/AP
April 10, 2024, 12:01 PM
WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he is considering a request from Australia to drop the decade-long U.S. push to prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for publishing a trove of American classified documents.
For years, Australia has called on the U.S. to drop its prosecution against Assange, an Australian citizen who has fought U.S. extradition efforts from prison in the U.K. Asked about the request on Wednesday, as he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official visit, Biden said, Were considering it.
Assange has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his websites publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege that Assange, 52, encouraged and helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published, putting lives at risk.
Australia argues there is a disconnect between the U.S. treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Mannings 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/biden-australias-request-drop-prosecution-wikileaks-founder-assange-109089633
Mysterian
(4,589 posts)Motherfucker helped our enemies.
sop
(10,226 posts)And prosecuting Assange now would only create more outrage among all the usual suspects during an election year.
24601
(3,962 posts)procedures for improperly accessing classified intelligence products and illegally providing them to Assange who had no security clearance. I'm comfortable with a jury deciding if that was a conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States.
Magoo48
(4,717 posts)mike_c
(36,281 posts)Martin68
(22,845 posts)MadameButterfly
(1,062 posts)which may lead to the end of the free world and the planet.
I'd rather let a thousand murderers off than forgive this guy.
Maybe I don't know the details of Manning's case but I don't recall her getting Trump elected nor do I fear her next move.. If Assange is forgiven, he'll do it again.