SUPPORTERS of jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today welcomed news that US President Joe Biden is now considering dropping the prosecution against the journalist.

President Biden said on Wednesday that he is considering a request from Australia to drop the decade-long US push to prosecute Mr Assange for publishing a trove of classified US documents.

For years, Australia has called on the US to drop its prosecution against Mr Assange, an Australian citizen who has fought US extradition efforts from prison in Britain. 

Asked about the request by journalists on Wednesday, Mr Biden said, “We’re considering it.”

Mr Assange has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of documents exposing US war crimes, including the killing of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

US prosecutors allege that Mr Assange encouraged and helped US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Mr Biden’s comment was encouraging.

He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “Mr Assange has already paid a significant price and enough is enough. There’s nothing to be gained by Mr Assange’s continued incarceration in my very strong view and I’ve put that as the view of the Australian government.”

Stella Assange described the US president’s remark about her husband’s case as a “good sign,” and said it looks like things could be “moving in the right direction.”

Ms Assange told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that the prosecution was “a Trump legacy and really Joe Biden should have dropped it from day one.”

Arguing that the case was criminalising “journalistic activity,” she said Mr Assange “is being charged for publishing truthful information that revealed state criminality,” saying: “Julian embarrassed the United States.”

Veteran campaigner John Rees welcomed Mr Biden’s comment but said “he has wasted enough time on a prosecution that Trump began and he should never have continued.”

He added: “Biden needs to free Assange, and he needs to do it now.”

Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn told the Morning Star: “Julian has revealed deep truths about war and corporate greed. For five years he has suffered in Belmarsh and should be freed. I welcome the Australian advocacy of his case.”

WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said in a statement: “President Biden could end this nightmare by withdrawing the US appeal.”

A British court ruled last month that Mr Assange can’t be extradited to the US on espionage charges unless US authorities guarantee he won’t get the death penalty.