The 50-year-old Australian, involved in a massive leak of US documents, can now appeal within 14 days. “The decision will be appealed,” WikiLeaks said.
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One more step towards extradition, but nothing is decided yet. The British government confirmed on Friday June 17 that it had signed the decree for the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. The WikiLeaks founder is being prosecuted there for a massive leak of confidential documents.
“Under the Extradition Act 2003, the Minister of State must sign an extradition order if there are no grounds for barring the ordersaid the Ministry of the Interior. In this case, the British courts did not find that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr. Assange. Nor have they concluded that extradition would be inconsistent with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and freedom of expression, and that while he is in the United States he will be treated in a manner appropriate, including with regard to his health.”
WikiLeaks immediately denounced “a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy”. The organization assured that “the decision will be appealed”. The 50-year-old Australian can indeed appeal within 14 days.
Julian Assange is claimed by American justice, which wants to judge him for the dissemination, from 2010, of more than 700,000 classified documents on American military and diplomatic activities, in particular in Iraq and Afghanistan. He faces 175 years in prison. He was arrested in 2019 after spending more than seven years as a refugee in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.