The hunt is on for Biden to pardon press freedom's favourite son, Julian Assange

Australian campaigners are hopeful that PM Albanese can convince outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden to deliver an essential pardon for Julian Assange, writes Dr John Jiggens and Constantine Pakavakis.

JULIAN ASSANGE may no longer be behind bars, but his conviction casts a shadow over press freedom and the safety of journalists everywhere — a wrong Assange and his supporters worldwide are determined to set right by seeking to overturn his wrongful conviction via a presidential pardon from Joe Biden.

In a remarkable bipartisan effort this month, Republican Congressman James McGovern and Democratic Congressman Thomas Massie came together across the aisle and co-authored a letter urging President Biden to pardon Julian Assange.

The congressmen raised serious concerns about Assange being required to plead guilty to felony charges, arguing that this threatens both freedom of expression and press freedom.

They warned that provisions for handling sensitive information could be misused to target journalists and publishers for routine journalistic work: emphasising that the plea agreement sets a dangerous precedent, marking the first time the Espionage Act of 1917 has been used against a journalist and publisher — an alarming development for advocates of free expression and press freedom.

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The congressmen argued that a pardon would remove the precedent set by the plea and:

'... send a clear message that the U.S. Government under your leadership will not target or investigate journalists and media outlets simply for doing their jobs.'

Australian campaigners for Julian Assange are hopeful that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can convince his friend, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden, to deliver a pardon for the WikiLeaks founder.

Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton, said a pardon would be significant.

To further build momentum towards a pardon before President Biden leaves the White House, Gabriel Shipton travelled to Washington DC early in November to meet with U.S. lawmakers and activists.

He has also visited Canberra with Assange’s wife, Stella, to lobby MPs for support.

Julian Assange was convicted for something journalists do every day, Shipton told Australian Associated Press (AAP):

“Julian is pushing for a pardon, not just because it affects him, but because of what he stands for.”

Argued Shipton:

"The [Australian] Parliament was integral to getting Julian out and they were the key to unlock his cell basically, and they can continue and finish the job and push for this pardon. There's a ticking clock going on for when the President can make the decision to pardon Julian."

Mr Shipton has previously said there was concern the campaign for a pardon would not succeed after Donald Trump is back in the White House.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a great relationship with Joe Biden and a plea for a pardon in a farewell call to the President would hold significant sway with Biden in securing a pardon for the WikiLeaks founder, he said:

"Now that the process is at a conclusion, it really is in the power of President Biden to unwind this precedent that originated with the Trump Administration... [A pardon]would be a real coup for the Prime Minister."

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Albanese had successfully raised the issue of releasing Assange with President Biden, with powerful support from a cross-party group of federal MPs who travelled to America to lobby U.S. lawmakers — and a vote in the Australian House of Representatives, which strongly backed a motion by Independent MP Andrew Wilkie calling for Assange’s release.

After 14 years of enduring various forms of detention, Julian Assange made his first public appearance to give testimony to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (P.A.C.E.) in Strasbourg on 1 October.

His testimony supported their report that confirmed he was a political prisoner and called on the UK to conduct an independent inquiry into whether he suffered inhuman or degrading treatment.

He concluded his testimony by thanking his supporters and urging them to keep up the fight:

It’s good to be amongst friends. And I would just like to thank all the people who have fought for my liberation. And who have understood, importantly, that my liberation was coupled to their own liberation.

The basic fundamental liberties which sustain us all have to be fought for.

And that when one of us falls through the cracks. Soon enough, those cracks will widen and take the rest of us down. So thank you for your your courage in this and other settings, and keep up the fight.

Dr John Jiggens is a writer and journalist currently working in the community newsroom at Bay-FM in Byron Bay.

Constantine Pakavakis is the Writers For Peace Committee chair who manages the (Promoting literature defending freedom of expression) PEN Melbourne website.