The US government has won its appeal against a court decision that halted the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
The case will now go back to the lower court, where the matter will be heard again.
Assange can still request permission for a final ruling on Friday’s verdict from the UK’s Supreme Court. The 50-year-old has been in custody since April 2019, when he was sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars. He was ordered to remain in custody pending the outcome of the High Court’s decision over concerns he would abscond.
Before the sentence, he was hauled out of the Ecuadorian Embassy by British authorities after his citizenship was revoked.
Assange’s fiancee, Stella Moris, expressed hope that he would be home for Christmas in a post on Twitter. “I hope the High Court will bring this abusive and vindictive extradition to an end today so that that our children will be able to spend Christmas with their father.”
Court decision slammed
Rights groups have been quick to voice their disapproval at the court’s decision. Nils Melzer who is special rapporteur on torture at the UNHCR told DW he was disappointed, especially with Friday marking International Human Rights Day.
“Its disappointing of course, especially to get such disastrous news on International Human Rights Day, because this judgement clearly goes against anything the universal declaration of human rights stands for.”
Cristophe Deloire who is secretary general and director general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the ruling
“We condemn today’s UK High Court decision to allow the extradition of Julian Assange to the US, which will prove historic for all the wrong reasons. We fully believe that Julian Assange has been targeted for his contributions to journalism.”
Deloire also said the case had “dangerous implications for the future of press freedom around the world.”
Why is the US seeking extradition?
The Australian is wanted on 18 charges in the United States and faces a maximum 175-year sentence if convicted.
The charges are related to the 2010 release by WikiLeaks of 500,000 secret files detailing aspects of military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The US government also alleges that he helped intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal the 2010 documents before exposing confidential sources around the world.
Manning was pardoned by former President Barack Obama at the end of his second four-year term. But she remained in jail from May 2019 until December 2020 for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.
Assange and his lawyers have long argued that the protracted case against him is politically motivated.
His supporters also see him as a journalist who shone the light on possible war crimes.
A life in custody
Before Assange’s US extradition hearings began in the UK, he spent seven years at Ecuador’s Embassy in London to avoid facing sexual assault allegations in Sweden that were later dropped.
While living in the embassy, Assange fathered two children with Moris, who was a member of his legal team. In November, he was granted permission to marry Moris in Belmarsh prison.
July saw Assange spend his 50th birthday behind bars, and it was then that he found out that US authorities were continuing to pursue extradition.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said as an Australian citizen Assange was “free to return home” once the legal cases against him have been concluded.
US authorities said if Britain agrees to extradite Assange, he could serve any potential prison sentence in Australia.
kb/sms (AFP, dpa, AP)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/uk-court-rules-in-favor-of-us-in-appeal-to-extradite-julian-assange/a-60077787?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf