 We are Australian parliamentarians and we're calling on the government of the United States to drop the unprecedented Espionage Act charges against Julian Assange. And we're imploring the British government to release him from prison and send him home. Like politicians in the US and the UK, we are elected to defend our citizens' rights. Voters expect us to hold accountable those who commit wrongdoing, not to punish those who expose it, such as Julian Assange. Voters expect us to protect journalists and publishers, not to imprison them for their work. Julian Assange is right now being arbitrarily detained in the UK for publishing activity. His treatment violates the Convention against torture and its persecution threatens journalists worldwide. The world's leading human rights and press freedom groups are unequivocally denouncing the charges against him and we join them. Australian citizens want Julian Assange to be free. Indeed, one of the largest petitions in Australia's history with over half a million signatures has been tabled in the Australian parliament calling on the United States to free Assange. The ruling by UK District Judge Vanessa Barrett on January 4th of this year to deny extradition provides the opportunity for urgent reconsideration. President Biden, we will lawyer you. Please drop the US government's appeal in light of the judgement rendered in the UK.