Documents obtained under FOI applications have revealed a worrying side to official Australian efforts regarding WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.In September 2021, DFAT became aware of media reports detailing CIA planning to murder Assange in London. The plot revealed to journalists working for Yahoo News, who spoke to over 30 intelligence sources, involved consideration by CIA of plans to poison Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy or to shoot him should he attempt to flee.
DFAT documents obtained by Declassified Australia do not show indication of any representations advocating for the life of Assange following this development. That is however not to say representations did not take place elsewhere.
Now that Assange faces imminent extradition to the United States, another death risk arises.
There is the distinct possibility of further charges being laid against Assange in the US. Recall that 17 additional charges were later added by US authorities to the original charge he was arrested for in the Embassy in 2019.
Reports last year showed Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) investigators were continuing to interview further witnesses seeking potentially new evidence against Assange. The likelihood of further charges once extradited to the United States must be considered a real possibility.
Although the State of Virginia, where Assange will be held and will face court if extradited, has abolished the death penalty, several Federal laws that could be used to lay further charges still carry the death penalty and those laws have precedence.
UK law however does not allow the extradition of a person to any jurisdiction where they may face the death penalty. It is not known how, or even if, the UK court will address this possibility of new charges attracting the death penalty in assessing the US extradition request.
This real fear is believed to be part of the final appeal being made by Assange’s legal team as it enters the UK High Court this coming week.
Last minute effort
In a surprising last minute effort to save Assange, the Australian parliament last week approved a motion calling for his release.
On 14 February, Independent Andrew Wilkie put a Private Members Motion concerning Julian Assange to the Australian House of Representatives. It passed by 86 votes to 42, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s vote in favour.
The terms of the motion:
a, On 20 and 21 February 2024, the High Court of Justice in the United Kingdom will hold a hearing into whether Walkley Award winning journalist, Mr Julian Assange, can appeal against his extradition to the United States of America;
b, Mr Assange remains incarcerated in HMP Belmarsh in the UK, awaiting a decision on whether he can be extradited to the USA to face charges for material published in 2010, which revealed shocking evidence of misconduct by the USA [emphasis added]; and
c, both the Australian Government and Opposition have publicly stated that this matter has gone on for too long; and
2. underlines the importance of the UK and USA bringing the matter to........© Pearls and Irritations