Julian Assange wins final UK appeal against extradition to US
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has won his final appeal in the UK against an extradition order to the US for him to face criminal charges.
Three months ago his final appeal went to the Court of Appeal (criminal) after the US won a legal bid in December 2021 to have him extradited across the Atlantic to face charges.
The US Government wants Assange to stand trial after the US Department of Justice indicted Australian-born Assange on 18 counts, including allegations of breaking spying laws and conspiring to hack government computers.
The Australian-born journalist faces a 175-year jail sentence in the United States.
Assange was famously held up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had claimed political asylum in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault – however, that investigation was dropped in 2019.
Ecuador revoked his political asylum in April 2019, leading him to be arrested by the Metropolitan police. He has been held in London’s Belmarsh prison since his headline-grabbing arrest.
However, there was an hurdle in his final appeal after the judges delayed their decision until they got “assurances” from the US Government.
The “assurances” including prejudice of nationality and that a death penalty is not imposed. The US Government supplied the court with its assurances in April.
However, today, the Court of Appeal ruled that after “careful consideration of written and oral arguments” over the “assurances” the US Government provided, the court has allowed Assange’s appeal against the extradition order. The court however refused his renewed application.
This means Assange is now able to bring his full appeal to an English High Court. The president of KBD Dame Victoria Sharp said all parties have to file their finalised draft order on direction on a full hearing by 2pm on 24 May 2024.
Speaking outside the court, his wife and human rights lawyer Stella Assange said “The judges reached the right decision. We spent a long time hearing the US Government putting lipstick on pig but the judges did not buy it.”
“As a family we are relieved but how long can this go on. The US should read the situation and droop this case. They should abandon this shameful attack on journalists and the public that has been going on for 14 years.”
“The Biden Administration should have dropped this from day one but now is the moment to drop it,” she added.
Before the trial kicked off at 10:30am, Assange supporters were surrounding the Royal Court of Justice (RCJ) listening to speeches including one from Jeremy Corbyn. The former Labour leader later tweeted saying “We are outside the court to say loud and clear: journalism is not a crime.”