Julian Assange's father calls on government to pressure UK, US to release WikiLeaks founder
The father of jailed Australian journalist Julian Assange says the federal government should use its close relationship with the United States and the United Kingdom to secure his son's release.
Mr Assange is
being held in a London prison as he fights extradition to the US on 18 criminal
charges related to his work with WikiLeaks.
On Wednesday
John Shipton spoke to his son over the phone from a London rally that was
packed with supporters calling for Mr Assange's immediate release.
Mr Shipton
said it was time for Australia to exert pressure on the UK and the US to bring
his son home.
"You
have to show the United Kingdom and United States that you're serious and say
to the United Kingdom and the United States, 'Well we're going to do something
firm — we're going to restrict your access to consul buildings', or
something like that," he said.
"Something not too brutal, but just simple, to show you're serious."
Julian Assange, pictured here in 2020, was too ill to attend
the first day of the hearing.(Reuters: Simon Dawson)
For almost
15 years Mr Shipton has maintained faith that Mr Assange will one day return
home to Australia.
He said his
son did not sound in the best of health when he spoke to him on the phone.
"Generally,
he sounded quite well, a bit throaty … he had a cold," Mr Shipton
told
"He's
been under a considerable amount of stress over the last few days."
he father of jailed Australian journalist Julian Assange says the federal government should use its close relationship with the United States and the United Kingdom to secure his son's release.
Mr Assange is being held in a London prison as he fights extradition to the US on 18 criminal charges related to his work with WikiLeaks.
On Wednesday John Shipton spoke to his son over the phone from a London rally that was packed with supporters calling for Mr Assange's immediate release.
Mr Shipton said it was time for Australia to exert pressure on the UK and the US to bring his son home.
"You have to show the United Kingdom and United States that you're serious and say to the United Kingdom and the United States, 'Well we're going to do something firm — we're going to restrict your access to consul buildings', or something like that," he said.
"Something not too brutal, but just simple, to show you're serious."
For almost 15 years Mr Shipton has maintained faith that Mr Assange will one day return home to Australia.
He said his son did not sound in the best of health when he spoke to him on the phone.
"Generally, he sounded quite well, a bit throaty … he had a cold," Mr Shipton told ABC Gippsland.
"He's been under a considerable amount of stress over the last few days."
'Defence was very strong'
Mr Assange's lawyers have been fighting in London's Royal Courts of Justice to prevent his extradition from Britain to the US.
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