Top Aussie official blasts hypocrisy of Assange’s possible extradition to US — Analysis
According to a top government official, Australia could be fined with extradition of Julian Assange to the US from Britain if it wanted. However, Australia might also agree to send an Australian Koran insulter over to Saudi Arabia.
The refutation of Assange’s US claims, written by Barnaby Joyce (Deputy Prime Minister), stands out. Canberra is not supporting the prosecution of WikiLeaks cofounder.
Assange, currently in UK’s top security prison is fighting for extradition. Assange could face a life-threatening espionage charge.
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Joyce made a plea for readers to consider the context and not just the Assange identity, in an article published Tuesday by The Sydney Morning Herald. According to Joyce, the US wants to infringe on the fundamental rights of liberty and habeas Corpus of Australian citizens.
Assange was accused by the US of having been a complicit in Chelsie Manning’s theft of classified files from the US military. Assange is accused of being criminally responsible for encouraging Manning, and advising her on how to avoid becoming caught, to seek out more WikiLeaks material. When the exchanges occurred, he was in foreign territory.
Washington’s extradition case is based on its claim that the US government was the injured party in the crimes it alleges – a claim Joyce believes is flimsy.
So the question now is: why should he be extradited from America? Would he have to be extradited to Saudi Arabia if he offends the Koran?
Joyce stated that Assange was not someone he knew personally and that they had a bad relationship. But, Joyce maintained it was unrelated to Assange. He stated that he was hopeful the British justice would reach the right conclusion in this case.
“They should try him there for any crime he is alleged to have committed on British soil or send him back to Australia, where he is a citizen,”It was written by the official.
Australia has no plans to extradite Assange from the UK. It also isn’t offering to accept him into its custody to be sentenced, should Assange be found guilty. American officials offered assurances the second option would be accepted, as they were convincing London’s High Court to reverse a decision of a magistrate.
Due to the poor conditions of Assange’s prison and the possibility that the publisher might take his life if Assange was handed to Washington, the earlier ruling did not allow Assange to be extradited to the USA. This week, the High Court overturned that decision and opened up the possibility of an extradition.
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