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AUSTRALIA-CRIME-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-ASSANGE
‘No special treatment’ for Assange, says Australia PM
SYDNEY, April 12, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen
Julian Assange will receive “no special treatment” from his home country
following his dramatic arrest in Britain, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said
Friday.
Assange’s seven-year hideout in Ecuador’s London embassy ended dramatically
on Thursday when police dragged the WikiLeaks founder out of the building
into a waiting van.
He was found guilty by a British court on Thursday of breaching his bail
conditions in 2012 and faces a year in prison.
But US authorities are seeking his extradition on charges relating to his
work with former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010, with the
case to be heard on May 2.
Barely 24 hours into an official election campaign, Morrison said Assange
would receive the same support as any other Australian in trouble overseas,
and the extradition is a “matter for the United States”.
“Well it’s got nothing to do with us, it has got to do with the United
States,” he told national broadcaster the ABC.
“There’s a judicial process, and that will be followed across a range of
matters here and I would expect that to follow. He will receive the same
consular support as any other Australians would in these circumstances.”
Morrison’s counterpart Bill Shorten, who is favourite to become Australia’s
next prime minister following the May 18 election, also distanced himself
from the case.
“It will be a matter for the legal system to proceed, he should receive the
support any other Australian citizens should receive,” the opposition leader
told reporters.
“The matter is going before court so I don’t think there is much more I can
add,” Shorten said.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0855 hrs