Now's the time, Assange backers say of possible US deal

Assange has one final appeal in the UK courts against his extradition to the United States to face charges under the Espionage Act, relating to the theft and publication of US cables more than a decade ago.

Lobbying by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to US President Joe Biden has failed to secure Assange's release. But Biden's administration has hinted that a plea deal could be negotiated through its Ambassador in Canberra, Caroline Kennedy.

"There absolutely could be a resolution, there is a way to resolve it," Kennedy has said previously.

Details of any potential plea deal have not been publicly discussed.

Assange has been in London's maximum-security prison HMP Belmarsh for five years. His last request to appeal a court order that he be extradited is set for February.

Assange supporters, including MPs in Australia, have continued their letter-writing campaign, most recently calling on UK Home Secretary James Cleverly to intervene.

But an aide to the secretary said the tactic was a waste of time.

"The fact is that no amount of correspondence to the Home Office or home secretary can change the facts," the aide said.

"Not only would it be completely inappropriate but it is actually impossible for the government to intervene, in any way, with a live legal process that is wholly a matter for the UK courts."

If Assange loses his application to appeal, he could move to have his case heard by the European Court of Human Rights and try to further delay his extradition.

But with polling showing Donald Trump is not only likely to clinch the US Republican presidential nomination but is also currently outperforming Biden, one of Assange's strongest supporters has urged his team to think again.

Labor MP Julian Hill said while he wanted Assange exonerated, waiting for that outcome might lead to an even worse situation.

"The Australian government is doing everything possible to pressure the US government to bring the Assange matter to a close," Hill said.

"I'd like to see the charges dropped but no one should judge Julian for accepting a deal to get the hell out of there and come home.

"Julian's health is fragile, and heading into a US presidential election year there are legitimate concerns that the circumstances for a deal may get worse, not better, so time is of the essence."

Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton said when they met with the US Department of Justice in October, officials were adamant the prosecution would continue.

He said it was not clear what Trump would do but that was why they had been building support amongst both Democratic and Republican members of Congress.

"The problem with the Trump administration is that I don't think anybody really knows what's going to happen," Shipton said.

Trump has praised WikiLeaks in the past, but it was his administration that pursued Assange and sought his extradition when the former Obama Administration did not.

Assange's legal defence has argued that the case is political, waged by Trump's former secretary of state Mike Pompeo who previously led the CIA.

An unnamed former senior US intelligence official said there was deep hostility towards Assange and the danger he put the intelligence community in by publishing the WikiLeaks cables unredacted.

The former official said that the institutional view within the US intelligence community was that Assange should not be pardoned, freed or forgiven.

This view was also backed by Australia's former ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey.

"On the equation of what's important or not to Trump, I would see that as a one out of 10," he said.

"Because at the end of the day if you go to the president of the United States and say 'Look, in our estimation this number of American operatives died because of what Assange did, do you want to pardon him?'.

"No American president's going to do that."

Australian Associated Press