As the critical November election draws near, embattled President Joe Biden has revealed that he is “considering” dropping the massively unpopular charges against the Democrat elite’s foe Julian Assange.
Assange, the founder and former editor of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, is wanted on espionage charges for publishing U.S. government secrets.
When he published the emails for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign in the run-up to the election, Assange made very powerful enemies in the upper echelons of the Democratic Party elite.
Clinton and the Democrats often blame the publishing of the emails, which were leaked to WikiLeaks by murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich, for Hillary’s crushing defeat to President Donald Trump.
However, as the Democrats could be facing yet another defeat from Trump, Biden appears to have had a change of heart.
The comments from Biden on the case come one day before the fifth anniversary of the 52-year-old being held in prison amid his fight against extradition.
For several years, Assange was living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the UK.
On April 11, 2019, UK authorities finally caved and stormed the foreign embassy to arrest Assange.
Since then, he has been locked away in a British jail cell awaiting extradition to the U.S. where he faces spending the rest of his life in prison or possibly the death penalty.
Assange has not been seen in public for almost five years.
Biden commented on the case following a request from the Australian government.
In February, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed a motion calling for Assange’s return to his native Australia.
When asked about the request by reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Biden said “We’re considering it.”
Assange’s lawyer described the comments as “encouraging.”
The 52-year-old Australian journalist faces prosecution in the U.S. over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information.
This followed the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Thursday will mark five years since he was taken to Belmarsh prison in London, having been dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy where he had been staying.
During a two-day court hearing in February, lawyers for Assange asked for permission to bring an appeal against his extradition to the U.S.
Dame Victoria Sharp and Justice Johnson, who are overseeing Assange’s case, dismissed most of his arguments.
However, they said unless the U.S. gave assurances regarding what would happen to Assange, he would be able to bring an appeal on three grounds.
These would include a breach of freedom of expression and fears he might receive the death penalty.
Assange’s wife Stella called the judges’ decisions to delay their ruling “utterly bizarre.”
She later stated in an interview that she and her husband’s greatest fear is his death.
In a January 2021 ruling, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser said Assange should not be extradited.
Baraitser cited a real and “oppressive” risk of suicide while ruling against him on all other issues.
Later that year, U.S. authorities won a High Court bid to overturn this block, paving the way for his extradition.
A final hearing will potentially take place in late May.
UK judges are giving U.S. authorities three weeks to give assurances.
Events will be held around the world on Thursday as Assange’s family and supporters continue to campaign for his release.
The charges against Assange have been massively unpopular among members of the public.
The widespread support for releasing the WikiLeaks founder transcends the political spectrum.
As Biden likely knows, freeing Assange could likely help his doomed re-election win back some support from voters.
Nevertheless, Assange may have a few damaging choice words for the Democrat elite if he were to be freed.
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