WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been granted the right to appeal a UK High Court ruling regarding his extradition to the United States.
Julian Assange Receives Right to Appeal
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, can now appeal the decision of a London court that ordered his extradition to the U.S. The appeal will be reviewed by the UK Supreme Court.
Currently, Assange is being held at Belmarsh prison in London. The Australian internet journalist has been incarcerated there since he left the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2019. The Supreme Court ruling states that Assange has the right to file a request for a hearing and clarify details of his case. However, the court does not guarantee that the request will be granted. During the proceedings, Assange’s extradition will be suspended, and he will remain in custody in London until a final court decision is made.
The Supreme Court judge’s ruling, which granted the U.S. the right to extradite the WikiLeaks founder, was made in December 2021. This was followed by the decision to suspend extradition, announced on Monday. A temporary ban on Assange’s extradition was also imposed by a district court based on a psychotherapist’s assessment. The journalist had petitioned the Supreme Court regarding circumstances confirming the moral and physical pressure exerted by prison guards, which was corroborated in the U.S.
Grounds for Arrest and the Essence of Julian Assange’s Case
Julian Assange is wanted by the U.S. on espionage charges. The indictment includes a procedural act alleging conspiracy to hack military databases and disclose classified information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to the document, Assange could face up to 175 years in prison. However, the U.S. government does not rule out a reduced sentence of four to six years. U.S. authorities have also promised not to place Assange in the Florence ADMAX, a supermax prison in Colorado, and not to subject him to “special administrative measures.” Assange has been assured that if his case has a negative outcome, he will serve his sentence in Australia (Assange is an Australian citizen). If his detention does occur in the U.S., he is guaranteed access to appropriate clinical and psychological care.
Opinions of Other Participants in the Legal Process
Assange’s fiancée, Stella Moris, attended the court hearings. “Today we won, but Julian is constantly under stress,” she stated while addressing the court on Monday. “Julian should be released.”
Meanwhile, the international non-governmental organization Amnesty International issued a statement on Monday. In this message, activists expressed approval of the Supreme Court’s decision but continued to express concern over the limitations of the appeal.
“Given the threat of life imprisonment for Assange and his psychological state, the Supreme Court should have considered and ruled on all circumstances of the case. If evidence of torture and other forms of cruel treatment are overlooked, then where is the justice of the court?” commented Massimo Moratti, Deputy Director for Research at Amnesty International in Europe. “We hope that the Supreme Court will grant permission for an appeal regarding what evidence may be presented at the stage of extradition.”