According to his attorney, an “urgent political remedy” is required in Julian Assange’s situation because his health is deteriorating, and legal challenges to his extradition to the United States might last another ten years.
Since joining Assange’s legal team 12 years ago, barrister Jennifer Robinson has expressed her expectation that the current Australian government will make a breakthrough after publicly stating that the case against the Australian-born Assange has “gone on long enough.”
She urged the incoming British prime minister, “whoever that ends up being,” to support free speech and take up the issue with the US.
Assange, 50, is sought by American authorities on 18 counts, including one of espionage, in connection with WikiLeaks’ publication of substantial quantities of classified military and diplomatic communications, which Washington claimed placed lives in danger.
Britain’s Home Secretary granted Assange’s extradition to the United States in June. His legal team has appealed the decision to Britain’s High Court, which will decide on the appeal once it has heard from the American authorities.
“Before we finally appeal and pursue it, it may take a few years. If necessary, we will appear before the European Court of Human Rights, “Robinson stated in a Sydney interview.
She said, “This matter is political and requires an immediate political fix.”
After being accused of sex offenses, Sweden requested Assange’s extradition from Britain at the end of 2010. He went to the Ecuadorean embassy in London after losing the lawsuit in 2012 and stayed there for seven years.
Even though the Swedish lawsuit against him had been abandoned, he was imprisoned for violating British bail conditions when expelled from the embassy in April 2019. He is still in jail and has been resisting extradition since June 2019.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, elected in May, has stated that he stands by his opposition leader’s remarks that “enough is enough,” even though his country would bring up the matter with the United States through diplomatic channels that are not public.
Robinson expressed his hope that the matter would be resolved and the Australian government would be able to return the man home.
She mentioned that Assange’s health issues include a recent mini-stroke and medical data presented at the extradition hearing that suggested jail circumstances increased the chance of suicide.
Australia’s attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, declared last week that he would not make any public remarks on the government’s diplomatic efforts in this regard.
According to the British Home Affairs office, the judges determined that Assange would be handled fairly and that his extradition would not violate his human rights.
