Australian MPs call on US to drop Assange extradition

Australian parliamentarians from across political sides are increasing pressure on the US government to drop extradition proceedings against Julian Assange.

Coinciding with the fourth anniversary of Assange's imprisonment in the UK, 48 Australian MPs and senators have signed a letter to US Attorney-General Merrick Garland urging him to end the pursuit of the WikiLeaks co-founder.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie initiated the letter which was signed by government backbenchers along with coalition, Greens and crossbench MPs.

Similar letters have also been sent by British MPs from both the Conservative and Labour parties as well as lawmakers in Mexico and Brazil.

Australian Assange Campaign spokesman Greg Barns SC told AAP the letter indicated legislators across the world were keen for the case to be resolved.

He said it was especially critical for Washington to understand the level of support among Australian MPs for extradition proceedings to be dropped.

"There has been bipartisan support for a long period of time, but what this letter says in print is the extent of that diversity," he said.

"That is a reflection of the Australian community (because) a lot of people think no matter what Assange has done, enough is enough."

Assange, an Australian citizen, has been held in London's Belmarsh prison since 2019 and is fighting extradition to face espionage charges in the US.

Mr Barns said he was not aware of any other case where a person who had not been charged with a criminal offence was subject to extradition or kept in "inhumane" conditions.

Appeals to stop his extradition are currently before the UK courts.

The letter to Mr Garland said Assange "has been effectively incarcerated for well over a decade in one form or another" but the person who leaked classified information had their sentence commuted and had been able to participate in American society since 2017.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to meet with US President Joe Biden in Australia and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London at the coronation of King Charles III next month.

Mr Barns said the prime minister could have no better opportunities to raise Assange's case with his counterparts and fellow AUKUS signatories.

"It needs to be a high priority on the agenda of those discussions. These are ideal opportunities," he said.

"The prime minister can say this is a matter where there is deep parliamentary support and concern across the spectrum, and it is also felt among the public."