Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed he has personally lobbied the United States government to drop its charges against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, telling parliament "enough is enough".
In his strongest public comments since becoming prime minister, Mr Albanese said he had no sympathy for Mr Assange's actions but believed it was "time for this matter to be brought to a conclusion".
"I have raised this personally with representatives of the United States government," he told parliament.
"My position is clear and has been made clear to the US administration.
"I will continue to advocate, as I did recently in meetings that I have held."
Mr Albanese recently returned from the ASEAN and G20 summits where he held a face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden.
The WikiLeaks co-founder has been held in custody in London since 2019 fighting extradition to the US, where he is accused of conspiring to hack government computers and of violating an espionage law in connection with the release of confidential cables by WikiLeaks in 2010-2011.
Assange is facing up to 175 years in prison over the 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over the leaks, but the US government has said that a sentence of between three and six years was more likely.
Mr Albanese has long held the view that there is little point in US authorities continuing to pursue Mr Assange, who has spent the past 12 years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, or in custody.
In parliament, the prime minister noted the case of former US soldier Chelsea Manning — who handed the trove of confidential military documents to WikiLeaks — had been pardoned after serving a seven-year sentence.
"She is now able to participate freely in US society," Mr Albanese said.
"You have to reach a point, whereby what is the point of continuing this legal action, which could be caught up now for many years, into the future."
Mr Albanese's comments come as five leading media outlets release an open letter denouncing the US's prosecution against Mr Assange.
"This indictment sets a dangerous precedent and threatens to undermine America's First Amendment and the freedom of the press," wrote the editors and publishers of The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El Pais.
"Holding governments accountable is part of the core mission of a free press in a democracy."
The media outlets published the leaked military documents 12 years ago.
