Oh, the irony! Major outlets are calling on the US to drop charges against Julian Assange, while the Australian government seems to have a selective memory when it comes to freeing their citizens from foreign jails. I mean, they did it for six Australians since 2007, but Assange? Nada. Zilch. Nothing.

To jog your memory, let me list down these lucky (and deserving) Australians who were released thanks to diplomatic intervention: David Hicks (US/Guantanamo), Melinda Taylor (Libya), James Ricketson (Cambodia), Sean Turnell (Myanmar), Kylie Moore-Gilbert (Iran), and Peter Greste (Egypt). Now, that’s what I call a great Aussie rescue team!

However, it seems that they’ve hit the pause button when it comes to the WikiLeaks founder. Assange has only been charged, but not convicted – a situation similar to that of Sean Turnell. And yet, Australian foreign affairs minister Marise Payne, who had demanded Turnell’s release, didn’t do the same for Assange. What’s up with that, right?

And don’t get me started on the case of David Hicks! The guy was never put on trial by the US, even after years in Guantanamo, but Australia intervened to free him while the legal process was still ongoing. Hmm… Smells fishy to me.

Of course, this hasn’t gone unnoticed, and citizens have taken to Twitter to express their opinions about this apparent injustice. Tweets questioning the government’s actions (or lack thereof) towards Assange have been flying all over the place. So, why the sudden radio silence for one of their own citizens? That’s a question many Australians and Assange supporters would love to have answered.

But, as with all things, only time will tell if the Australian government decides to pull their socks up and fight for Assange, or if they will continue to let him hang out to dry in the face of global criticism. Until then, the debate rages on, and all we can do is sit back, grab our popcorn, and watch this fascinating display of international politics and diplomacy unfold.