Wikileaks founder in a last-ditch bid to avoid US extradition
Julian Assange’s legal team is initiating what may be his final attempt to prevent extradition to the US for trial on charges of leaking military secrets.
The two-day hearing at the High Court in London will consider his team’s argument for a full appeal to be allowed.
There is no assurance of success, and if the appeal is denied, he could be extradited within a matter of weeks.
Supporters of the Wikileaks founder contend that he exposed wrongdoing, whereas the US contends that Assange jeopardized lives.
Originally hailing from Australia, Assange’s protracted legal battle commenced in 2010 when Wikileaks released vast quantities of classified military documents from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, including footage depicting a US helicopter attacking civilians in Baghdad.
He sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years before his arrest by the Metropolitan Police in 2019.
The US requested his extradition from the UK that same year, citing the potential harm caused by the disclosures.
Two years later, a British judge determined that while the US had demonstrated a legitimate criminal case against Assange, extradition was not permissible due to concerns that he might harm himself.
The US later overturned that ruling after giving the UK new assurances about how it said Mr. Assange would be humanely treated, including the possibility of spending any possible jail sentence in his native Australia.
Its lawyers have also repeatedly denied claims from Mr Assange’s campaign that he could be sentenced to 175 years in jail.
At this week’s hearing, Mr Assange’s lawyers are expected to ask for permission to challenge the extradition order signed by the then UK Home Secretary Priti Patel almost two years ago.
If they fail to convince judges there is anything wrong with that order, Mr. Assange must be extradited within 28 days – unless he can convince the European Court of Human Rights to temporarily stop the airplane with a so-called “Rule 39” order.
Nick Vamos, the former head of extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service, said US Marshals could arrive in London within days if the High Court throws the case out.
“There is a very high threshold for [the European Court of Human Rights to intervene], namely that there is ‘an imminent risk of irreparable damage’ to his human rights, which of course is one of the arguments the High Court in London would have just rejected,” he said.
Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Stella Assange said her husband would not survive in a US jail – and the case is politically motivated.
“This case will determine if he lives or dies,” she said.
Mr Assange has been kept at London’s Belmarsh Prison since 2019 as the US extradition case proceeded.
