UK court grants Assange right to appeal decision

The United Kingdom High Court on Monday granted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to launch a new appeal against his extradition to the United States, where he would face charges for allegedly leaking military secrets.

Assange, who has been detained in the UK’s Belmarsh Prison for the last five years, will have several months to prepare his appeal, reported the BBC.

The decision marks the latest chapter in a 13-year legal journey tangled in controversies over the disclosure of classified US documents. Assange maintains that his 2010 disclosures revealed US war crimes.

The hearing’s conclusion hinged on the significance judges place on the assurances given by US officials regarding the protection of Assange’s rights during a potential trial.

In March, judges highlighted that Assange, an Australian citizen, could take his case to the Court of Appeal unless the US ensured he would not be subjected to the death penalty if extradited and would receive equivalent free speech rights as a US citizen.

While the US government indicated that Assange could potentially claim the Constitution’s First Amendment right to free speech if tried for spying in the US, the final decision rests with a judge, reported the Associated Press. Historically, the US has argued that Assange, lacking US citizenship, is not eligible for constitutional protections.

Earlier on Monday, Assange’s wife, Stella, labeled the day as “decisive” in their prolonged legal battle, vowing to continue to “fight on until Julian is free”.

Assange’s case has been a long-running legal saga that first began in 2010, when WikiLeaks released classified material that the US says was obtained through computer hacking.

WikiLeaks released a vast trove of secret US military documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, including a video showing a deadly 2007 US helicopter attack in Baghdad.

In 2019, under former president Donald Trump, the US sought the extradition of Assange on 18 charges, mainly under the Espionage Act, citing damage to national security.

Assange’s supporters assert that the case centers on freedom of speech and emphasize his role in exposing alleged abuses by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2010, Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange over allegations of sexual assault, and asked the UK to extradite him.

Following his arrest in the UK and release on bail, a two-year legal process ensued. In 2012, the UK Supreme Court ordered his extradition to Sweden for questioning.

Fearing subsequent extradition to the US, Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he remained for seven years until 2019, when Ecuador ordered him to leave.

British police immediately arrested Assange and he faced charges for evading extradition to Sweden and was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison.

In November 2019, the Swedish authorities dropped the case against him due to the expiration of the statute of limitations on the alleged offenses.

jonathan@mail.chinadailyuk.com