Albanese says nothing served by US still pursuing Assange

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed frustration at the United States’ continuing efforts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. An Australian citizen, Assange has spent four years in a British prison fighting extradition and seven years taking asylum in an embassy. Albanese said in an Australian media interview that Assange’s time served should be considered against the potential penalty in the U.S. case. Assange faces espionage charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of a trove of classified documents. Albanese declined to say whether he would raise Assange’s case when he meets with President Joe Biden later this month in Sydney.