Relentless lobbying and a garden party ambush: how Australia pushed for Julian Assangeβs freedom
WikiLeaks founderβs release was culmination of years of behind-the-scenes diplomatic lobbying, which got a big boost when Albanese took office
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Standing outside a US court on the island of Saipan in the western Pacific Ocean, lawyer Jennifer Robinson hailed the βhistoricβ plea deal to secure the freedom of fellow Australian citizen Julian Assange.
After denouncing the case against the WikiLeaks founder as βthe greatest threat to the first amendment in the 21st centuryβ, Robinson gave a shoutout to the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, βfor his statesmanship, his principled leadership and his diplomacyβ. It was those outstanding qualities, she said, βwhich made this outcome possibleβ.
Continue reading...Β© Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Β© Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters