Parliament backs Julian Assange release motion
The federal government has thrown its support behind a motion calling for Julian Assange to be released and returned to Australia ahead of his last-ditch appeal to prevent extradition to the US (The Age).
Labor, Greens and crossbench MPs supported the motion by independent Andrew Wilkie calling for the release of the WikiLeaks founder from prison in the UK and his return to Australia, which passed the lower house 86-42 votes.
It marks a step-up in the government’s stance, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously saying there just needs to be a “conclusion”.
Liberal MP Bridget Archer crossed the floor and voted in favour of the motion, while all other Coalition members opposed it (SBS).
Wilkie welcomed the backing as an “unprecedented show of political support for Mr Assange by the Australian parliament”.
Assange will next week make a final appeal in the British High Court against the decision to allow his extradition to the US to face charges for publishing classified US military documents, carrying a maximum jail sentence of 175 years (The Saturday Paper).
