Introduction by Croakey: Nearly 50 Australian MPs from across the political spectrum, including four who are doctors, have published an open letter calling on United States Attorney General Merrick Garland to abandon US efforts to extradite and prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
The letter marks four years to the day that Assange has been held in London’s Belmarsh Prison, facing extradition on espionage charges.
The authors include Labor MP Dr Mike Freelander and Independent MPs Dr Helen Haines, Dr Sophie Scamps and Dr Monique Ryan, as well as Nationals Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan and Liberal MPs Warren Entsch and Bridget Archer.
The letter notes that the charges against Assange pertain to his actions “as a journalist and publisher for WikiLeaks, in publishing information with evidence of war crimes, corruption and human rights abuses”.
His prosecution would, they warn, “set a dangerous precedent for all global citizens, journalists, publishers, media organisations and the freedom of the press”.
A similar letter has been signed by 35 British MPs.
Advocates for Assange have urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to press for his release with US President Joe Biden before or during his planned visit to Australia in May.
Letter to United States Attorney General
The Honourable Merrick B. Garland
Attorney General of the United States of America
US Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW WASHINGTON DC 20530-0001
Dear Attorney General
We write to you as Australian parliamentarians from the Government, Opposition and crossbench to call on you to end the extradition proceedings against Australian citizen, Mr Julian Assange.
Mr Assange is the Australian journalist and publisher, currently detained in His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh in London awaiting a decision on extradition to the United States of America.
As you would be aware, the previous US Administration brought charges against Mr Assange for seventeen counts relating to allegedly obtaining and disclosing information under the Espionage Act of 1917, and one count under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1968.
The charges pertain to Mr Assange’s actions, as a journalist and publisher for WikiLeaks, in publishing information with evidence of war crimes, corruption and human rights abuses.
If the extradition request is approved, Australians will witness the deportation of one of our citizens from one AUKUS partner to another – our closest strategic ally – with Mr Assange facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.
This would set a dangerous precedent for all global citizens, journalists, publishers, media organizations and the freedom of the press.
It would also be needlessly damaging for the US as a world leader on freedom of expression and the rule of law.
International experts oppose the continued persecution of Mr Assange, including the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, and the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, as well as human rights organisations, various heads of state and parliamentarians from around the world.
Attorney General, Australian public opinion on this matter is clear. Indeed, polling shows that 88 per cent of Australians either support, or are unopposed, to calls for Mr Assange to be brought back to Australia.
Mr Assange has been effectively incarcerated for well over a decade in one form or another, yet the person who leaked classified information had their sentence commuted and has been able to participate in American society since 2017.
A clear majority of Australians consider that this matter has gone on for far too long and must be brought to a close.
We implore you to drop the extradition proceedings and allow Mr Assange to return home.
Yours sincerely
Australian Parliamentarians
Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Senator for Queensland
Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP, Member for Higgins
Bridget Archer MP, Member for Bass
Senator Ralph Babet, Senator for Victoria
Adam Bandt MP, Member for Melbourne
Stephen Bates MP, Member for Brisbane
Senator The Hon Matthew Canavan, Senator for Queensland
Max Chandler-Mather MP, Member for Griffith
Kate Chaney MP, Member for Curtin
Senator Dorinda Cox, Senator for Western Australia
Zoe Daniel MP, Member for Goldstein
The Hon Warren Entsch MP, Member for Leichhardt
Senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Senator for New South Wales
Dr Mike Freelander MP, Member for Macarthur
Dr Helen Haines MP, Member for Indi
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for South Australia
Julian Hill MP, Member for Bruce
The Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, Member for New England
Peter Khalil MP, Member for Wills
Tania Lawrence MP, Member for Hasluck
Zaneta Mascarenhas MP, Member for Swan
Senator Nick McKim, Senator for Tasmania
Brian Mitchell MP, Member for Lyons
Llew O’Brien MP, Member for Wide Bay
Alicia Payne MP, Member for Canberra
Graham Perrett MP, Member for Moreton
Senator Barbara Pocock, Senator for South Australia
Senator David Pocock, Senator for Australian Capital Territory
Senator Gerard Rennick, Senator for Queensland
Senator Janet Rice, Senator for Victoria
Senator Malcolm Roberts, Senator for Queensland
Dr Monique Ryan MP, Member for Kooyong
Dr Sophie Scamps MP, Member for Mackellar
Rebekha Sharkie MP, Member for Mayo
Senator David Shoebridge, Senator for New South Wales
Allegra Spender MP, Member for Wentworth
Senator Jordon Steele-John, Senator for Western Australia
Zali Steggall OAM MP, Member for Warringah
Susan Templeman MP, Member for Macquarie
Senator Lidia Thorpe, Senator for Victoria
Kylea Tink MP, Member for North Sydney
Maria Vamvakinou MP, Member for Calwell
Senator Larissa Waters, Senator for Queensland
Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP, Member for Ryan
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Senator for Tasmania
Andrew Wilkie MP, Member for Clark
Josh Wilson MP, Member for Fremantle
Tony Zappia MP, Member for Makin
See Croakey’s previous articles on Julian Assange and the public interest issues involved
