A London court ruled on Monday that embattled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal against his extradition to the United States, opening a new chapter in his long fight against the order in British courts. Chapter.
Two High Court judges said they would allow the appeal to proceed on limited issues.
In March, the judge said the court would grant the appeal unless the U.S. government “satisfactorily assures” that Mr. Assange will be protected by the U.S. Constitution and will not be “prejudicially prejudiced because of his nationality.” and “no death penalty.”
The US Embassy in the UK provided assurances on these issues In a letter sent in AprilBut Assange’s legal team argued in court that they had not done enough to satisfy the court’s request.
Assange, 52, has been imprisoned at one of Britain’s highest-security Belmarsh prisons in southeast London since 2019 for his opposition to extradition order It’s been through the courts.
He faces Espionage Act charges in the United States over the publication of tens of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents leaked by WikiLeaks to the website. Chelsea ManningArmy Intelligence Analyst, 2010.
In June 2012, Mr. Assange entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he remained for a long time. next seven years for fear he might be arrested.He was eventually expelled from the embassy in 2019 and immediately arrested.
The U.S. Department of Justice charged Assange with 18 counts of violating the Espionage Act by participating in a criminal hacking conspiracy and encouraging hackers to steal secret materials. In 2021, a British judge rejected an extradition order for Mr. Assange. He was ruled a suicide risk If sent to a U.S. prison, a high court later overturned that decision. In 2022, the then British Home Secretary Priti Patel approved extradition request.
An earlier appeal request by Mr Assange’s legal team was rejected by judgethen the two judges who handed down Monday’s ruling decided his appeal could proceed.
Assange, who has rarely been seen in public since his arrest in 2019, decided not to attend his final hearing on Monday for undisclosed health reasons, according to his legal team. During his time in prison, his lawyers and wife Stella Assange have warned of his deteriorating physical and mental health. In 2021, Ms. Assange suffered a mini-stroke. Speaking ahead of the final hearing, Assange said she was “very concerned” about his mental health.
WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson told a news conference last week that Assange’s legal team had been working on a political solution, which he said was “already coming to fruition.”
“More and more political leaders are siding with Julian,” Mr. Hrafnsson said. “They see the absurdity of this case. What a serious impact this will have on press freedom around the world.”
The Australian Government supports Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said He hoped the case could be “resolved amicably”.
Last month, President Biden said the administration was Consider Australia’s request Allowing Mr Assange to return there without facing jail time has fueled speculation in Washington The case may be being reconsidered. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment at the time.
Supporters have long argued that Assange’s life could be in danger if he were sent to the United States to face trial. Assange’s lawyers said he could face up to 175 years in prison if convicted, but lawyers for the U.S. government said he was more likely to be sentenced to four to six years in prison.
In court on Monday, Assange’s legal team said the assurances provided by the United States that it would not seek the death penalty were sufficient, but that if Assange was extradited, he would “be offered and seek” First Amendment rights. rights and protections”.
Edward Fitzgerald, one of Assange’s lawyers, said: “We believe this is a manifestly inadequate assurance that he will even be allowed to rely on the First Amendment.”
US lawyer James Lewis reiterated throughout the hearing that the assurances provided by their side did make it clear that Assange would be given adequate protection to comply with UK extradition laws.
Nick Vamos, Britain’s former extradition chief, said the protracted nature of Assange’s cases was not unheard of, in part because Britain’s extradition rules allow for appeals on a variety of issues. Crown Prosecution Service.
“The court will entertain many different types of arguments about fairness, prison conditions, human rights, political motivations, all of these issues,” Vamos said, adding that in the end it might have allowed Mr Assange to “buy time”. “Looking for a political solution.
