The leaders of Mexico, Brazil and Argentina have urged US president Joe Biden to drop the charges against the WikiLeaks founder and set him free.
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said: “Assange needs to be defended by all of us who love democracy, who love freedom of the press, freedom of trade unions, who love freedom of organisation.”
Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said: “If he (Assange) is taken to the United States and sentenced to the maximum penalty … we must begin the campaign to dismantle the Statue of Liberty.
“It is no longer a symbol of freedom.”
Alberto Fernandez, president of Argentina said: “For justice to be done, the United States needs to drop the charges against Assange and put an end to the ongoing extradition proceedings.”
Assange is being held in Belmarsh prison in London as he continues to fight being extradited to the United States.