Key Points
- The House of Representatives passed a motion urging the US and UK to allow Julian Assange to return to Australia.
- Labor and crossbench MPs, along with Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer, voted in favour of the motion.
- Assange's legal team will make a final bid to prevent his extradition to the US in a UK court on 20 February.
Federal MPs have called for the US and UK to drop its prosecution against Julian Assange, ahead of a final extradition hearing in the UK.
The House of Representatives passed a motion on Wednesday, which urged the US and UK governments to allow Assange to return to Australia.
The motion, which passed 86 votes to 42, had the backing of Labor and crossbench MPs, along with Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer.
The WikiLeaks founder will face the High Court in London on 20 February in
'Suffered enough'
The lower house motion was moved by independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who will travel to the UK for the hearing.
"Sadly, we've just about run out of time to save Julian Assange," he told parliament.
"Surely this man has suffered enough and the matter must be brought to an end.
"But if he is unsuccessful next week in the London, he could be on a plane within hours to another court, this time in the United States of America."
Wilkie had been part of a cross-party delegation of federal politicians that had lobbied US Congress to drop its case against Assange.
Julian Assange's case was raised with US President Joe Biden by the Australian government on his recent visit to Australia. Source: AAP / Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
before being moved to a high-security prison.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised the plight of Assange with US President Joe Biden during his most recent visit to the US.
He also said Assange's stint behind bars had gone on for too long and that "enough was enough" on the issue.
Labor MP Josh Wilson told parliament the Australian community wanted to see Assange freed.
"While there may well be a range of views about Mr Assange ... his further incarceration and prosecution is seen by many to represent an injustice," he said,
"People should remember that Julian Assange has now been imprisoned for a considerable period without having been convicted of any substantial charge."
