On June 25, 2024, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleaded guilty to a criminal charge in court, admitting that his actions violated U.S. law.
However, under an agreement reached with the U.S. government, Assange will regain his freedom after the trial concludes.
Known as the "hacker Robin Hood," Assange became famous for founding WikiLeaks and exposing a large number of U.S. confidential documents, leading to a long-term pursuit by the U.S. government.
So, why has the U.S. government suddenly decided to drop its pursuit of Assange?
The U.S. pursuit of Assange, spanning several decades, began with the massive leak of classified documents related to the U.S. war in Afghanistan by WikiLeaks in 2010.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released a video taken from a U.S. Apache helicopter in Iraq in 2007, showing U.S. forces killing at least 18 people, including two Reuters journalists.
Subsequently, on July 25, WikiLeaks disclosed 91,000 documents on the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and on October 22, it released 400,000 documents on the U.S. war in Iraq.
From November 28, it began publishing 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables.
These actions enraged U.S. authorities, and in 2012, the U.S. government issued an international arrest warrant for Assange on charges of alleged sexual offenses.
Assange denied all charges and sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK during his bail period, staying there for seven years.
Nevertheless, the U.S. did not abandon its efforts to extradite Assange.
On May 23, 2019, the U.S. government charged Assange with violating the 1917 Espionage Act and requested his extradition from the UK.
Since April 2019, Assange has been detained in the high-security Belmarsh prison in London.
Why has the U.S. now decided to drop its pursuit?
Analysts believe that the intervention of the Australian government and political considerations in the U.S. are the main reasons.
Australia's new Labor Party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that while he does not support all of Assange's actions, he believes that the case "has gone on long enough" and it is time to release him.
Albanese made this case a priority and worked actively behind the scenes.
He remarked, "Not all diplomatic affairs need to be handled loudly."
Albanese received bipartisan support in the Australian parliament.
In September 2023, a delegation of Australian parliamentarians traveled to Washington to directly lobby the U.S. Congress.
Following this, Albanese personally raised the issue with President Biden during a state visit to the White House in October.
In February 2024, the Australian parliament overwhelmingly voted to urge the U.S. and the UK to allow Assange to return to Australia.
They also actively lobbied influential U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy.
A key figure in this effort was Stephen Smith, who arrived in London as the new Australian High Commissioner to the UK in early 2023.
Diplomatic sources revealed that he "did a lot of heavy lifting, taking this matter on as his own."
For the U.S., continuing to pursue Assange holds little significance, with practical political considerations taking precedence.
In April this year, President Biden stated that he was considering Australia's request to drop the charges.
U.S. diplomats are keen to maintain good relations with Australia, especially since the U.S. has established the "AUKUS" defense and security partnership with Australia and the UK.
The Assange case has long been a thorny issue in UK-U.S. relations, and many diplomats are eager to resolve it.
With the election approaching, the Biden administration wants to settle this matter before the November presidential election.
Some of Assange's supporters believe that the U.S. is concerned that if the UK Labour Party comes to power, it may be less willing to agree to his extradition.
Assange's release not only reflects the active mediation by the Australian government but also reveals the political and diplomatic calculations of the U.S.
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