LONDON, UK – MAY 19: Julian Assange gestures while speaking to the media on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy on May 19, 2017 in London, England. Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
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LONDON – London’s High Court ruled on Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has the right to appeal against extradition to the United States.
The judge found that U.S. assurances about how Assange’s case would be heard if he was extradited were insufficient and allowed the appeal. Assange’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said on Monday that an appeal hearing could take months, Reuters reported.
Assange wanted in US espionage charges and faces up to 175 years in prison. The charges are related to WikiLeaks’ release of hundreds of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Throughout Assange’s legal battle against extradition that lasted more than a decade, the 52-year-old spent seven years in self-imposed exile inside the Ecuadorian embassy in Britain and a maximum-security prison near London. Nearly five years have passed.
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange celebrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on May 20, 2024 after hearing the news that his appeal against extradition to the United States had been approved.
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court battle
These include that Assange will be able to rely on his First Amendment right to free speech during the trial and that, as an Australian, he will have the same First Amendment protections as a U.S. citizen. British courts have also demanded guarantees that Assange will not face the death penalty.
According to Reuters, Fitzgerald told the court on Monday that U.S. assurances about Assange’s ability to rely on his First Amendment rights were “manifestly inadequate.”
Accepting assurances that Assange would not face the death penalty, Fitzgerald said the United States had “unequivocally committed not to prosecute any capital punishment”.
James Lewis, representing the US authorities, said any guarantees provided would not be binding on the courts but they would consider and enforce the clause where possible.
Assange supporters celebrate
On May 20, 2024, in London, England, Stella Assange, the wife of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, gave a speech outside the court.
Peter Nichols | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Video on social media showed protesters gathering in support of Assange outside a London court on Monday, with cheers erupting as the judge handed down the verdict. show. Protesters held signs calling for Assange’s release and for U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to drop the charges.
After the ruling, Assange’s wife Stella said the judge made the right decision and called on the United States to drop the case.
“The judge made the right decision. We spent a long time hearing about America putting lipstick on pigs, but the judges didn’t buy it,” she told reporters outside the court.
“As a family, we are relieved, but how long can this go on? The United States should understand the situation and drop this case immediately. The time to do so is now,” she added.
U.S. President Joe Biden said last month he would consider Australia’s request to close the case and let Assange returns to his homelandReuters reports.
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