Australian government stares down calls to press UK and US for Julian Assange?s release

The Australian government is staring down calls to intervene to secure Julian Assange's freedom, after a British court cleared the way for the WikiLeaks co-founder to be extradited to the US to face espionage charges.

The government said it was monitoring the Australian citizen's case closely, but would "continue to respect the UK legal process - including any further appeals under UK law" - and emphasised Australia was "not a party to the case".

The high court in London ruled on Friday that Assange could be extradited to the US, sparking a vow from Assange's legal team to appeal. It also prompted warnings from press freedom and rights groups that the prosecution of a publisher under the US Espionage Act sets "a dangerous precedent".

Assange was remanded in custody and Friday's ruling paves the way for the British home secretary, Priti Patel, to ultimately decide whether or not Assange should be extradited to the US.

It has led to fresh calls for the Australian government to take a stand, with the independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie calling on the prime minister, Scott Morrison, to "end this lunacy" and demand the US and UK release Assange.

Labor said it believed the matter had "dragged on for too long" and the Morrison government should "do what it can encourage the US government to bring this matter to a close".

The Greens also called on the foreign minister, Marise Payne, to "urgently speak to the US and tell them to drop these absurd charges and end Assange's torture".