George Christensen, Andrew Wilkie campaign to bring Julian Assange home

George Christensen and Andrew Wilkie vow to address Australia’s extradition treaty with the US as they express support for Julian Assange.

Demonstrators hold up signs in support of Julian Assange outside Belmarsh Prison. Picture: Getty Images

Australian politicians George Christensen and Andrew Wilkie have vowed to address Australia’s extradition treaty with the United States after discovering WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange — who remains disorientated in a London prison — may be subject to further extradition requests.

And Mr Christensen has called on British prime minister Boris Johnson to intervene before the US extradition trial against Assange begins at Belmarsh Magistrates Court next Monday.

“I hope Boris Johnson withdraws this case before the courts,” Mr Christensen said, revealing he had written to the British PM arguing for such immediate action.

The two politicians — representing opposite ends of the Australian political system — visited Assange on Tuesday afternoon for an hour-and-a-half and were shocked at his physical state.

Mr Christensen said he had no reason to doubt the 48-year-old WikiLeaks founder was suffering from psychological torture.

Australian politicians George Christensen and Andrew Wilkie speak in support of Julian Assange at a press conference outside Belmarsh Prison. Picture: Getty Images

“What I have seen today probably proves there has been ongoing issues, isolation being one of them, that has taken place in this prison behind us,” he said.

Mr Christensen added: “It has probably led to a depletion, or less than normal state of mind, he is in now. (He was experiencing) a feeling of disorientation about a range of different things.

“He obviously has no idea about what is going on in the outside world and (it is) even difficult to elicit some responses to the messages he wants to be brought home.”

But Mr Christensen said Assange did convey one clear message: “A thank you to all the people who are supporting this case, thank you for fighting for him, but that you are also fighting for yourselves because this whole matter really does affect freedom of speech and press freedom for everyone.”

Mr Wilkie said Assange told them he was still spending more than 20 hours a day confined to his room. “I think for all intents and purposes a reasonable person would say that’s still solitary confinement, so he’s under a lot of pressure.”

He said it was clear Assange’s mental state “isn’t good”.

Mr Wilkie said he asked Assange: “I don’t meant to be flippant but how are you doing?” And his immediate response was: “Not good.”

The two politicians, who co-chair the Bring Julian Assange Home parliamentary group, argue that: “A lot of people think Assange is a ratbag … you know what, he is our ratbag, he should be brought home.”

Mr Wilkie said the solution must be political and it was madness the UK was entertaining such a court case.

“The UK should be saying and the UK Prime Minister Johnson should be saying to the US president, ‘back off, this is an unreasonable move by the US administration’.”

Before the prison visit, Mr Wilkie told members of the Foreign Press Association in central London of concerns Assange could face further legal difficulties if he ended up returning to Australia.

Legal experts say that if there is any deal for Assange to return to Australia, or if the extradition request is denied in the British courts, then Assange could be exposed to further extradition requests by the US through Australia.

“The concern is that Australia and the United States have a much more loose agreement than the agreement between the UK and US,” Mr Wilkie said.

“I understand you can’t be deported from the UK to the US on political grounds, but you could be deported to the United States from Australia on political grounds. That’s why it’s so important for Australia to be out there expressing support for its citizen.”

A Julian Assange supporter demonstrates outside Belmarsh Prison in London. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Christensen said there was “something inherently wrong” that a British court would decide if an Australian citizen was to be extradited to yet another foreign country.

“No doubt he is our guy, he’s an Aussie; what is a foreign court doing trying to extradite him to another foreign country? What is that foreign country telling him he is breaking the law and he hasn’t even been in that country? It is ridiculous.”

One of Assange’s lawyers, Jen Robinson, told the Australian: “It is legally possible (that the US could request extradition through Australia), and that’s why its so important the Australian government takes up his case against the United States and offers an assurance that if and when he returns to Australia he won’t be extradited to the United States.”

Ms Robinson said Australia had refused to take action to prevent the US extradition request.

“We have for a decade asked for the Australian government to take action to prevent this (extradition) from happening, they have failed to do so.”