On Wednesday, Biden stated that his administration is considering whether to halt the prosecution of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who faces criminal charges for publishing numerous confidential diplomatic cables and military records.
Australia has been urging the United States to drop the case against Julian Assange, and in recent months, has intensified its efforts to persuade both Washington and London to repatriate the Australian citizen to his home country.
When inquired about the request from Australia, Biden remarked to reporters at the White House: “We're considering it.”
According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, Julian Assange's legal team and officials from the Justice Department have recently engaged in discussions regarding a potential plea deal to resolve the case. Assange has already spent five years in detention, and it appears unlikely that he would face much additional prison time if convicted in the United States.
An attorney representing Assange has publicly expressed uncertainty about whether his client would accept such a deal.
Assange is confronted with 18 charges, including conspiring to disclose classified information and hacking a military computer, all under a U.S. espionage law, in connection to WikiLeaks releases.
His legal team argues that he is a journalist who merely published information provided to him, and thus, he should be shielded from punishment under the First Amendment.
Britain's highest court is currently deliberating whether to grant Julian Assange an additional right to appeal his extradition to the United States. If the court rejects his appeal, the Justice Department would have 28 days to proceed with his extradition for trial.
