Australia is “unable to intervene” in the international row over native-born WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote in a letter reported Tuesday.
The Australian newspaper reported that Mr. Morrison made the remark in a letter sent to actress and activist Pamela Anderson, one of Mr. Assange’s most well-known supporters.
“The Australian Government continues to monitor Mr Assange’s case closely, as it would for any other Australian citizen in detention overseas,” Mr. Morrison reportedly wrote in the letter.
“Beyond providing consular assistance, it is important to note that Australia has no standing and is unable to intervene in Mr. Assange’s legal proceedings,” Mr. Morrison added, according to The Australian.
Representatives for neither Mr. Morrison’s office nor Ms. Anderson immediately answered inquiries from The Washington Times.
Mr. Assange, 48, was born in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, and is currently jailed in London pending the results of forthcoming legal proceedings scheduled to determine whether he should be sent to the U.S. to face criminal charges related to running the WikiLeaks website.
He is accused of committing multiple violations of the U.S. Espionage Act for soliciting and publishing classified information through WikiLeaks, and he could spend the rest of his life imprisoned if extradited and found guilty.
Ms. Anderson, 52, previously said that she planned to ask Mr. Morrison to intervene to prevent Mr. Assange’s potential extradition. In a statement last month, she said Mr. Assange has been made into a “scapegoat” and has “suffered inhumanely for disseminating factual information we all should know about.”
“I think he’s been psychologically tortured,” Ms. Anderson previously said after visiting Mr. Assange in prison.
More recently, a group of 60 doctors said in an open to the British home secretary published Monday that Mr. Assange requires urgent medical care and could potentially “die in prison” if not transferred to a hospital.
“We strongly disagree with any suggestion that Mr, Assange has experienced improper treatment in the U.K.,” a spokesperson for the British government previously told The Times this month.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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