The UK is holding a public hearing, and Parliament is urging the UK and US to abandon their extradition plans for Julian Assange, an Australian citizen. A motion demanding the return of Assange to Australia passed the lower house of federal parliament by 86 votes to 42. The motion was supported by Labor, while most of the opposition coalition opposed it. Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who moved the motion, hopes that it will send a strong political signal to the British and U.S. governments.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament that the London High Court’s hearing of Mr. Assange’s appeal is a critical period. “I hope this can be resolved,” he said. The 51-year-old Assange is facing extradition from a British prison to the US on criminal charges. It is alleged that he conspired to hack government computers and violated an espionage law by releasing confidential cables through WikiLeaks in 2010 and 2011. He faces up to 175 years in prison if extradited to the US.
British Home Secretary Priti Patel approved the extradition in June. However, Assange and his legal team argue that he is being punished for his political opinions and that his extradition would violate the U.S.-UK Extradition Treaty and international law regarding political offences. Mr. Wilkie plans to travel to Britain to attend this week’s hearings. The Parliamentary motion was supported by Mr. Albanese, who has been urging the United States to drop the extradition requests and release Assange. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus also raised the matter with his US counterpart during a meeting in Washington last month.
If Assange loses this week’s hearing, he will have exhausted all legal remedies in England. His supporters fear he could be rapidly transferred to the United States before he could appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.