A London court has issued an extradition order against the Wikileaks founder. The Australian, prosecuted by American justice for the dissemination of classified documents, can still appeal to the High Court.
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Hopes are dwindling for the founder of Wikileaks. British justice formally authorized the extradition of Julian Assange, Wednesday April 20. A London court has officially issued an extradition order for the 50-year-old Australian. He is being prosecuted by the courts of the United States for the dissemination, as of 2010, of more than 700,000 classified documents on American military and diplomatic activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. He faces 175 years in prison, which his supporters denounce as a serious attack on the freedom of the press.
Britain’s Home Secretary has yet to approve the order and defense lawyers can still appeal to the High Court. Outside the court, a few dozen supporters of Julian Assange had gathered on Wednesday, including former British Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. “He did absolutely nothing more than tell the truth to the world”did he declare.
In January 2021, British justice first refused the extradition of Julian Assange, citing a risk of suicide. The High Court overturned that decision in December, saying the United States had provided assurances that addressed the judge’s concerns, and another defense appeal was overturned in March.