US Secretary of State Urges Australia to Address 'Very Serious' Assange Case

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has rejected Australian demands to end the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stating that Assange is accused of "very serious criminal conduct" for publishing classified documents over a decade ago. The Australian government has been advocating for the U.S. to drop the charges against Assange, who has spent four years in a British prison fighting extradition. The case is seen as a test of Australia's influence with the Biden administration. Assange faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse, with American prosecutors alleging that he helped Chelsea Manning steal classified documents. Australia argues that there is a discrepancy in the treatment of Assange and Manning, as Manning's sentence was commuted by former President Barack Obama.