Assange faces weekslong wait over last-ditch extradition appeal
LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces a weekslong wait to learn if he can make a last-ditch appeal against extradition to the United States, after a UK court on Tuesday delayed a decision.
The High Court in London gave the US government three weeks to provide further “assurances” on his treatment if he is sent there to face charges over Wikileaks’ 2010 release of secret military and diplomatic files.
Washington has spent several years trying to extradite the 52year-old Australian citizen to stand trial for the publication, which related to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Attempting to halt the process, Assange had suffered a string of court losses in the long-running legal saga, which his supporters see as a battle for media freedom.
A two-day hearing was held last month and two judges in London ruled Tuesday he had ‘a real prospect of success’ on three of his nine grounds of appeal.
However, Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson said Washington had until April 16 to allay concerns that his trial would be prejudiced because he is not a US citizen and that he could face the death penalty if convicted.
“Before making a final decision on the application for leave to appeal, we will give the respondent an opportunity to give assurances,” the pair wrote in their 66-page ruling.
“If assurances are not given then we will grant leave to appeal without a further hearing.”
They also noted that if the United States does respond, further submissions could be made and a hearing will be held on May 20 when Assange could learn of his fate.
The ruling, which was released online, means Assange will remain at the high-security prison in southeast London where has been held since 2019.
He did not attend February’s proceedings either in person or remotely due to illness.
If he is eventually granted another appeal, the case will be heard in a London court.
But if the judges are swayed by the US reassurances, Assange will have exhausted all UK appeals.
His team has previously indicated, however, that they will ask the European courts to intervene and that they would be given 14 days to do so.
Assange’s wife Stella, who has led the campaign to block his extradition, called the latest decision ‘astounding’.