Anthony Albanese says he won't ask Joe Biden to intervene in Julian Assange case - ABC News

Anthony Albanese said Joe Biden was a president who understands the separation of the judicial system from the political system.(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)

The prime minister says he discussed the case of Julian Assange with the US president during their Oval Office meeting this week – but he isn't demanding Joe Biden intervene in the Justice Department process.

Key points:

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed Julian Assange's case with Joe Biden but is not demanding intervention in the justice process 
• Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh prison since 2019, with his supporters urging the US to drop the case
• Mr Albanese says Australia can act as a "middle power" between US and China ahead of visit to Beijing 

Assange has been held in London's high-security Belmarsh prison since 2019 – as the United States seeks his extradition over the release of classified documents in 2010.

His supporters want the US to drop the case and argue that President Biden should intervene.

Last month, a bipartisan group of Australian politicians visited Washington to lobby members of Congress for the 52-year-old's release.

Mr Albanese has repeated his view on the drawn-out saga that "enough's enough" and said he wants the case brought to a conclusion – but not necessarily through a presidential intervention.

"[It's] time this issue was brought to conclusion," he told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

"Joe Biden doesn't interfere with the Department of Justice — Joe Biden is a president who understands the separation of the judicial system from the political system. That's an important principle."

When asked if it was time to work on a plea deal, the prime minister said: "Australian officials are working very hard to achieve an outcome which is consistent with the position I've put."

Fresh off his trip to Washington, Mr Albanese now heads to China where he said he would raise concerns with President Xi Jinping about China's support for Russia and its refusal to condemn terrorist group Hamas.

Mr Albanese's highly-anticipated visit to Beijing is the first by an Australian prime minister in seven years.

He has suggested Australia, as a "middle power", can help play a role in improving engagement between Beijing and Washington.

He vowed to deliver some straight talk on China's role in global affairs – and express concerns about human rights abuses.

"I think both China and the United States probably see Australia as playing a role. We are a middle power," Mr Albanese said. 

"My concern with the relationship between the United States and China is that there has been good engagement at the diplomatic level, at senior ministerial level equivalent in Australian terms, but military-to-military, there is still a lack of engagement. We need to build in guardrails." 

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2023-10-28 22:39:58Z
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