The White House stated this Thursday (06/27/2024) that it is not considering granting a presidential pardon to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, as requested by his lawyers.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre responded with a terse “no” when asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if that option was being considered.
The question arose following statements by Assange’s lawyers and his wife, Stella Assange, who in recent hours announced that they will ask US President Joe Biden for a presidential pardon in order to clear Assange’s criminal record.
Court settlement
Assange has entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to plead guilty to a criminal charge related to the largest leak of classified documents in U.S. history, which occurred in 2010 and called into question the country’s role in the world by revealing atrocities in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In exchange for admitting his responsibility, Assange was formally sentenced to 62 months in prison, but was given credit for time he had already served in a high-security prison in the United Kingdom. He was thus able to walk free and return to his native Australia.
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The Mississippi – Soul of America
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