Trump Indicates He Would ‘Strongly Consider’ Pardoning Assange if Reelected
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, may face up to 175 years in prison for disclosing classified information.
Former President Donald Trump recently stated that he would seriously consider pardoning Julian Assange if reelected for a second term in November.
During an interview with podcaster Tim Pool, President Trump indicated that granting Assange a pardon is being taken into account.
The discussion took place before President Trump’s speech at the Libertarian National Convention.
President Trump mentioned, “Well, I’m going to address that today, and we’ll seriously deliberate on it. We also have a few other announcements in the speech that I believe you’ll appreciate,” without providing further details.
President Trump also stated in his speech at the Libertarian event that he would commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, who is presently serving a life sentence for establishing and managing the Silk Road darknet market between 2011 and 2013, if he returns to the White House.
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Julian Assange, aged 52, is currently facing accusations in the U.S. for allegedly assisting U.S. Army analyst Bradley Manning in obtaining classified data and subsequently disclosing it.
Wikileaks released numerous materials related to the U.S. military and the Middle East, including a video depicting drone strikes on a Reuters employee and civilians, along with the exposure of human sources’ identities.
The U.S. authorities have charged the Australian-born Assange with 18 counts, predominantly under the Espionage Act, asserting that his actions were reckless, harmed national security, and jeopardized agents’ lives.
President Joe Biden has previously indicated that he is contemplating dropping the prosecution of the Australian publisher but has not provided further specifics.
Recently, the High Court in London granted Julian Assange approval to appeal against his extradition to the U.S., focusing on freedom of speech and nationality perspectives.
James Lewis, representing the United States, stated that if extradited, Assange would be guaranteed all due process rights, including the opportunity to rely on the first amendment as a defense.
He further mentioned, “The assurance ensures that he will not face discrimination based on his nationality.”
These developments marked one of the final legal efforts in the UK. Assange’s family and supporters also conveyed concerns that he could face a lengthy prison term if extradited.
Over more than ten years of legal battles, including seven years of self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and the past five years in the high-security Belmarsh prison on the outskirts of London, Assange’s physical and mental health have reportedly deteriorated.
Zachary Stieber and Owen Evans contributed to this report.
