Wilkie, who travelled to the UK for Assange’s most recent extradition appeal hearing, added: “In any case, the US extradition should be abandoned, the charges dropped and Julian reunited with his family and allowed to return home.

“However, we need to be mindful that it’s entirely up to Julian to decide what is the best way forward for him from here.”

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US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy flagged a possible plea deal in an interview with this masthead last year, saying “there absolutely could be a resolution” to the Assange case.

The WSJ said that in recent months, officials at the Justice Department and Assange’s legal team had had preliminary discussions about a plea deal but the discussions “remain in flux and the talks could fizzle”.

Assange is battling extradition to the US, where he is wanted on criminal charges over the release of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables in 2010. Washington says the release of the documents put lives in danger.

Assange’s supporters say he has been victimised because he exposed US wrongdoing, including in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Multiple rights groups, leading media organisations and the leaders of countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Australia have urged the charges against Assange, who is an Australian citizen, be dropped.

Assange has been languishing in a UK prison since 2019, after the US charged him and police dragged him from the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

with Reuters