US wins appeal against block on Assange extradition
London, Dec. 10: The US risk if he was transferred government on Friday won to the US justice system. an appeal against a London The US government court ruling that had wants Assange to face trial blocked the extradition of for WikiLeaks’ publication WikiLeaks founder Julian in 2010 of classified military Assange from Britain. documents relating to
Washington challenged a the US wars in Afghanistan decision made in January and Iraq. that the 50-year-old A two-day hearing was Australian would be a suicide held in October where US lawyers argued that the original judge had not given sufficient weight to other expert testimony about his mental state.
They also sought to assure the court that he would not be held in punishing isolation at a federal supermax prison, and would receive appropriate treatment.
Two appeal judges at the High Court in London accepted US assurances that Assange would not face the strictest measures before any trial or after conviction. Such assurances were “solemn undertakings offered by one government to another”, judge
Timothy Holroyde told the court.
He said Assange would “receive appropriate clinical and psychological treatment” in the United States and Washington would agree to transfer him to Australia if he is convicted.
“The court rejected various criticisms of those assurances which were argued on Mr Assange’s behalf and was satisfied that the assurances were sufficient to meet the concerns which led to the district judge’s decision,” he added.
The judges the case be
Westminster ordered that returned to
Magistrates
Court in central London with a direction it be sent to Home Secretary Priti Patel for a final decision on whether Assange should be extradited.
But Assange’s partner, Stella Moris, said they would “appeal this decision at the earliest possible moment”, calling it a “grave miscarriage of justice”. “How can if be fair, how can it be right, how can it be possible, to extradite Julian to the very country which plotted to kill him?” she said, referring to claims about a CIA plan under the Trump administration.