Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he will not take a more forthright public position in the case of WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange.
The move comes amid mounting calls for the Australian government to intervene in the extradition of Assange to the U.S where he is convicted of 18 charges, including hacking and espionage.
When asked whether he had spoken with U.S president Joe Biden about the issue, the newly elected Australian PM said that he wanted to lead a government that “engages diplomatically and appropriately with our partners.”
“I have made clear on what my position is publicly. I made it clear last year,” Albanese said on Monday. “I stand by my comments that I made back then.”…