Brazil's President Lula advocates for Assange's freedom and environmental protection at UNGA

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed support for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, stating that it is crucial to protect the freedom of the press and that Assange should not be punished for informing society in a transparent manner. This comes ahead of a cross-party delegation of Australian politicians visiting the US to advocate for Assange's release and deliver a letter signed by over 60 members of parliament urging the US to drop the prosecution. Assange is facing charges related to the publication of classified information in 2010. Lula previously criticized the lack of efforts to free Assange, calling it an "embarrassment."