High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Stephen Smith is to visit jailed Australian, Julian Assange, in custody.
The Wikileaks founder continues to face espionage charges in the United States and remains in London’s Belmarsh prison, held there since 2019 while fighting extradition proceedings.
It will be the first time since November that year he has accepted a consular visit and the first time a high commissioner has met with the Australian behind bars.
Assange’s father John Shipton has welcomed the news.
“It will provide an opportunity for the high commissioner to see the appalling conditions Julian is kept in and the terrible toll that his ongoing incarceration is having on his health and on his family,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
His son’s long-running ordeal had been especially heartbreaking for his daughter-in-law, Stella, and two young grandchildren. Gabriel and Max, Mr Shipton said.
Family’s ordeal
“The glimmers of hope followed by bitter disappointments. The humiliation of body searches by uniformed guards and frightening dog searches just to visit their husband and father for a precious short time,” he said.
“It could and should end right now.”
Assange Campaign spokesperson Greg Barns SC called the development significant.
It’s the first time in over a decade of detention that a senior Australian government official has visited Australian publisher Julian Assange,” he said.
‘End this injustice today’
“The UK Government could end this injustice today. All it has to do is say ‘no’ to the US extradition.”
Mr Barns said once Mr Smith had seen Assange, they would urge him to speak with his British counterparts as it was in their power to deny the extradition and free him from “the nightmare he has endured for over 13 years”.
Mr Smith said Mr Shipton had approached him following his recent appointment to the UK, requesting the visit.
“Through his lawyers, Mr Assange agreed to that visit and I welcome that very much,” he told SBS News.
“We have made, before my arrival, over 40 offers to provide consular assistance, none of which he has taken up. That’s not said critically, that’s just a fact, but I’m very pleased he has agreed to my request to see him.”
-AAP
