US still determined to extradite Assange despite report of plea deal, says lawyer

A US lawyer for Julian Assange says the US government persists in trying to extradite and jail the WikiLeaks founder, despite a report prosecutors are considering a plea deal. 

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported the US Justice Department is “considering whether to allow Julian Assange to plead guilty to a reduced charge of mishandling classified information”. Under such a deal, Assange potentially “could enter that plea remotely, without setting foot in the US”.

Assange’s roughly five years in prison in the United Kingdom would count toward the US sentence and he’d likely be able to walk free once a deal was made, the WSJ reported. 

But Barry Pollack, a Washington-based lawyer for Assange, poured cold water on the idea when contacted by Crikey. 

“It is inappropriate for Mr Assange’s lawyers to comment while his case is before the UK High Court other than to say we have been given no indication that the Department of Justice intends to resolve the case and the United States is continuing with as much determination as ever to seek his extradition on all 18 charges, exposing him to 175 years in prison,” he told Crikey in an emailed statement. 

Greg Barns, an adviser to Assange’s Australian campaign, said the team would continue to push the Albanese government to “provide a very quick resolution” to the matter. 

“This is a political case and it has been since day one,” he told Crikey. “We’re arguing for the government to continue putting pressure on the Biden administration to end this.” 

Assange’s UK-based legal team was recently in court seeking leave to appeal the Australian’s extradition to the US, an application that’s still being considered. If UK High Court judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson are not convinced, Assange’s only remaining recourse, other than a potential plea deal, would be an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. 

The WSJ reported the UK High Court decision is expected within weeks, and added the US would have 28 days to collect Assange if the court rules against him. 

The US government says the Australian endangered lives when his whistleblowing organisation WikiLeaks published leaked documents in 2010 and 2011 related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. 

Assange’s supporters say the publications were legitimate works of journalism and that Assange, who is being held in London’s Belmarsh prison, shouldn’t be punished for it.

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