Trying to uncover why Joe Biden wants to extradite Julian Assange to America

You might think that for something so important and consequential you could get a straight answer to a simple question – why, precisely, does Joe Biden want to extradite Julian Assange?

Back in January 2021, when Biden assumed the presidency, there was hope and some expectation among supporters of the founder of WikiLeaks, that the new administration would drop the entire affair. The extradition process, and the 18 charges he faced – 17 of them under the Espionage Act – had been started by Donald Trump, who once claimed to be fond of the whistleblowing outfit, but then had a change of view.

Indeed, after a British judge, Vanessa Baraitser, ruled that while US prosecutors had met the tests for Assange to be extradited for trial there was too great a likelihood of him taking his own life, his supporters hoped that would be the end of it.

It was not to be. A few days later, a statement issued by Marc Raimondi, acting deputy director of the US Department of Justice (DoJ), said: “While we are extremely disappointed in the court’s ultimate decision, we are gratified the United States prevailed on every point of law raised. In particular, the court rejected all of Mr Assange’s arguments regarding political motivation, political offence, fair trial, and freedom of speech.”

It added: “We will continue to seek Mr Assange’s extradition to the United States.”

And it continued to press its case. Earlier this month, an appeals court in Britain overturned the earlier judgment and said Assange could be extradited.

But what lies at the bottom of this? Why does Biden, who proclaims himself to be a defender of democracy and an admirer of a free press, want to extradite a person who in the eyes of many scholars, ought to be protected by the first amendment to the US constitution, namely the right to free speech.

If the Washington Post is protected by such laws, and Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein can publish material that led to the exposing and downfall of a corrupt president, why is WikiLeaks not similarly protected?

And why does Biden, with all the problems he has to confront, want to take on an issue that he and Barack Obama had decided not to pursue as far back as 2013?

Funnily enough, if Trump was still in power we might get closer to finding an answer to what was his motivation.

During one of those gaggles with reporters he frequently held on the South Lawn White House, the rotors of his Marine One clattering in the background, somebody could just have asked him a question.

“Mr President, what is it you don’t like about Julian Assange?”

Or better still: “Is it true Julian Assange really gets under your skin, Mr President?”

But Biden doesn’t do any of those sorts of gaggles, or at least far less frequently. And when he does, he usually gets asked about other things.

I decided to try and get to the bottom of it once and for all. I emailed the White House and the DoJ. Neither responded.

The State Department, which invariably responds, even it has no comment to offer, said enquiries should be addressed to the DoJ.

I also tracked down a recent question put to White House press secretary Jen Psaki by an Australian journalist, who asked whether the attempt to extradite Assange was – as some had claimed – an “assault on the freedom of speech, and the freedom of press?”

“Well, I would again reiterate that this is a case that is still ongoing. It’s really under the purview of the Department of Justice. They’ve put out a statement. I’d point you to that for any further comment,” said Psaki.

She added: “Broadly speaking, the president has been an advocate for freedom of speech [and] freedom of the press. He’s holding a two-day democracy summit. The freedom of media and press is a central component of that.”

As it was, the only statement from the DoJ, was from spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle, who told the New York Times the government was “pleased by the ruling” but would have no further comment.

We are left then, unsatisfyingly, with the words only from one side – from the supporters of Assange and WikiLeaks, who claim the US wants to punish him for exposing what it says are war crimes, perpetrated during the “war on terror”, something Biden at least initially supported.

Assange’s fiancee Stella Moris called the December ruling “dangerous and misguided”.

Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said: “This is about the right of a free press to publish without being threatened by a bullying superpower.”

Back in the summer, Moris appealed directly to Biden to help her.

“If Biden really wants to break with the Trump legacy, then he has to drop the case,” she told Reuters. “They can’t maintain this prosecution against Julian while saying that they defend a global press freedom.”

Why won’t Joe Biden give her an answer?

Yours,

Andrew Buncombe

Chief US correspondent