In this file photo taken on May 19, 2017 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks from a balcony at the Embassy of Ecuador in London. – British police have arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador’s embassy in London after his asylum was withdrawn, the police said in a statement on April 11, 2019 – Photo: Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP
Julian Assange: UK approves WikiLeaks founder’s extradition to US
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been fighting efforts to extradite him to the US where he faces espionage charges
In this file photo taken on May 19, 2017 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks from a balcony at the Embassy of Ecuador in London. – British police have arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador’s embassy in London after his asylum was withdrawn, the police said in a statement on April 11, 2019 – Photo: Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP
Britain’s interior minister Priti Patel has given the go-ahead for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges, marking the end of his three-year legal saga.
Assange faces espionage charges stemming from his procurement and leaking of classified documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In December, the US won an appeal against a UK court ruling that had blocked extraditing Assange. He has been in prison since 2019 after he was infamously hauled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault case that has since been dropped.
WIKILEAKS: JULIAN ASSANGE TO APPEAL LATEST DECISION
But it seems the matter could drag on a bit longer as the Home Office said Julian Assange has the right to appeal Patel’s decision within 14 days. In a statement released on Friday, 17 June 2022, the Home Office stressed that the UK courts have not found that the WikiLeaks founder’s extradition would be incompatible with his human rights.
“The UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange. Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health,” they said.
WikiLeaks has slammed the decision, which it described as a “dark day for press freedom.” The organisation said Assange’s extradition will be appealed, stressing that the “next appeal will be before the High Court.” It said Assange is a journalist and a publisher who is being punished for simply doing his job.
“This is a dark day for Press freedom and British democracy. Anyone who cares about freedom of expression should be deeply ashamed,” WikiLeaks added.
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