Australian Politicians Demand Release of Julian Assange

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Facts

  • Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has voted for a motion in the parliament's lower house calling for the return of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, ahead of his appeal in London’s High Court next week.1
  • Albanese was among 86 lawmakers who voted in favor of the motion urging the US and UK to bring the 'matter to a close so that Mr Assange can return home to his family in Australia,' while 42 lawmakers voted in opposition.2
  • A two-day hearing in the UK next week will decide whether Assange's case will continue to be heard in courts in the UK or whether he has exhausted all of his appeals and must be extradited to the US where he faces charges of espionage.3
  • Assange has spent five years in London's high-security Belmarsh Prison, after seven years spent living in the capital's Ecuadorian embassy. He is wanted in the US over the release of confidential diplomatic and military records in 2010, which American authorities say endangered lives.4
  • At a media briefing in central London on Thursday, Assange's wife said her husband's health is deteriorating: 'His life is at risk every single day he stays in prison. If he’s extradited, he will die.' She also states that he will apply to the European Court of Human Rights if he loses his latest appeal.3

Sources: 1www.reuters.com, 2Associated Press, 3Sky News and 4Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Associated Press. Assange is accused of very serious criminal actions that carry hefty prison sentences. The records he is accused of leaking were classified, and by leaking them he threatened US security and endangered the lives of Americans abroad. While there is no doubt that the prosecution could be progressing more quickly, this doesn't entitle Assange to a get-out-of-jail-free card. He needs to face the consequences of his actions, even if that means being extradited to the US.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Prosecuting Assange for the publication of documents that were in the public interest threatens the work of investigative journalists all over the world. Not only would it have chilling repercussions, it would set a dangerous precedent threatening the public's right to know. Furthermore, the political nature of these charges means Assange will likely be held in repressive conditions that will put his life in danger if extradited. This prosecution must be stopped.

Predictions