The Australian government is facing calls from its own Coalition backbench and the opposition Labor party to press the Trump administration to end the pursuit of Julian Assange after a British court ruled out the WikiLeaks co-founder’s extradition to the United States. We will continue to offer consular support.”The “Bring Julian Assange Home” Australian parliamentary friendship group welcomed the British court’s decision to deny extradition to the US as “a vital first step to justice for Mr Assange”. “I also call on President Trump and President-elect [Joe] Biden, to let this be the end of the matter,” Wilkie said. “Julian Assange should be lauded as a hero, not a villain.”Christensen, who together with Wilkie visited Assange in Belmarsh prison last year, said he would continue his campaign to seek a presidential pardon for Assange from Trump. Enough is enough.”The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said the Labor party welcomed the court’s decision and believed “this has dragged on for long enough”.

Source: The Guardian January 05, 2021 03:11 UTC