Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Wikileaks' founder Assange stands by US extradition offer

Julian Assange says he will agree to being extradited to the US as long as he is guaranteed his rights.

File image of Julian Assange
File image of Julian Assange Source: AAP

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is standing by his offer to go to the United States now that Chelsea Manning is being released.

Australian, Assange, speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy in London via a live stream, signalled there would be "many discussions" on his future before Manning leaves prison in May.

"I stand by everything I said including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Manning's sentence was commuted," Assange said

"It's not going to be commuted (until) May. We can have many discussions to that point.

"I've always been willing to go to the United States provided my rights are respected because this is a case that should never have occurred," Assange added.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

He said US authorities should drop their case against him or unseal their charges against him.

"We look forward to having a conversation with the DoJ (Department of Justice) about what the correct way forward is."

Assange also welcomed outgoing US president Barack Obama's decision to free the former soldier jailed for handing over classified documents to WikiiLeaks back in 2013.

Obama used his final hours in the White House to allow Manning to go free nearly 30 years early.

The transgender former intelligence analyst, born Bradley Manning, said she had passed on government and military documents to raise awareness about the impact of war.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world