The UK government has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US after a decade-long fight. But despite a change in government Australia’s stance on not intervening remains.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong released a statement on Friday that said Australia would basically stay put in the back seat on this one.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will continue to offer consular assistance to Mr Assange, noting that Australia is not a party to Mr Assange’s case, nor can the Australian government intervene in the legal matters of another country,” it said.
Assange’s rights have been debated and protested for years because of competing views about freedom of the press. In that time the various Australian governments have all faced calls to “end the lunacy” and intervene to bring the 50-year-old Australian home under protection.
So why hasn’t it happened? Let’s step back a little.
Assange has been charged under the US Espionage Act for publishing materiel deemed classified by the US on WikiLeaks and for 10 years it has been trying to put him on trial. The case relates to about 400,000 documents about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars that revealed war crimes and a lot of horrifying shit.
It was the largest leak of its kind in US military history and as the publisher of these documents (note: not the actual leaker) Assange faces up to 175 years in jail if found guilty by a US court.
He has found safe haven from being extradited to the US in other jurisdictions around the world since the leaks — most recently in the UK. But last week he was back in the news because it looks like he will finally be shipped over.
The UK government said in a statement it had to approve his move to the US because “the UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange”.
Assange’s lawyers were given 14 days to appeal the High Court decision and will argue again the extradition request was politically motivated. His lawyers have also said they would use new evidence, such as his allegations the CIA had plotted his assassination.
“We will appeal this all the way, if necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights,” Assange’s attorney Jennifer Robinson said.
But here’s the thing: in his home country Assange has not broken any laws and instead won a Walkley Award for journalism. His supporters argue it would be pretty unfair for him, an Australian citizen, to be sent over there for trial and that he should instead be freed.
A bunch of independent and minor parties MPs have called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step in and bring Assange home once and for all.
The news that the UK has decided to extradite Julian Assange to the US makes me feel sick and deeply saddened.
Julian can not be left to die in prison. The Aus Government must intervene. @AlboMP it’s time to pick up the phone to Washington.#FreeAssange https://t.co/xwQnYrx9cS
— Senator Jordon Steele-John (@SenatorJordon) June 17, 2022
Independent Tassie MP Andrew Wilkie said in 2021 it was time for Scott Morrison to “end the lunacy” and doubled down on that sentiment last week.
“We’re urging and hoping that now is the time for Australia to get involved with its key allies in London and Washington and bring this matter to an end,” he said on Friday.
But unfortunately being allies means Australia is unlikely to rock the boat and challenge the UK or the US on their decisions.
The decision by the UK Govt to approve extradition of Julian Assange to the US is an outrageous betrayal of rule of law, media freedom and human rights. @AlboMP must pick up the phone now and demand an end to this madness https://t.co/W0fi2lw38p. #FreeAssangeNOW #auspol #politas
— Andrew Wilkie MP (@WilkieMP) June 17, 2022
It’s time for Anthony Albanese to pick up the phone, call Joe Biden, and urge him to intervene so Julian Assange isn’t unjustifiably imprisoned.
— Allegra Spender (@spenderallegra) June 18, 2022
Even when he was Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce reckoned the government should have brought Assange home.
Supporters of Assange have also said Assange’s extradition goes beyond one man’s rights and would threaten journalism and democracy. From a moral and ethical point of view they’ve said anyone who publishes information in the public interest should not be persecuted or jailed, they should be protected and celebrated.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt has said the government needed to intervene to bring Assange back to Australia and the criminalisation of journalism must end.
“It is a terrifying precedent that foreign nations could extradite and charge journalists who have exposed their wrongdoings,” he said.
Journalism is not a crime. Journalists must be able to protect their sources and hold bodies of power, including governments, to account.
