Australia steps up calls for US to drop WikiLeaks charges

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he recently told US President Joe Biden’s administration to bring WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange’s prosecution to a close.

Albanese’s comments Wednesday to Parliament appear to be an escalation of Australia’s diplomatic pressure on the United States to drop spying charges against the 51-year-old who is resisting extradition from Britain.

“I have raised this personally with representatives of the United States government. My position is clear and has been made clear to the US administration: That it is time that this matter be brought to a close,” Albanese told Parliament.