Julian Assange is very near the end of his appeal process in his effort to prevent his extradition from Great Britain to the United States, where he is set to be prosecuted for making public US government secrets — practicing journalism.
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden made a comment that suggests there may be hope that US charges against the WikiLeaks founder will be dropped, meaning Assange can go free after years of horrid confinement in Britain. Asked about a request from the government of Australia — the country of Assange’s citizenship — that the US end its effort to prosecute Assange, Sky News reports that Biden answered, “We’re considering it.”
Biden’s answer could be virtually meaningless, as any request from another nation can be “considered” even if it is known from the beginning that it will have no influence. Yet, by not outright shutting down the possibility that the US would let Assange escape US prosecution, Biden’s comment offers a glimmer of hope for Assange.