A British court has ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States on espionage charges immediately, marking a significant win for the founder of WikiLeaks.
Two High Court judges have stated that they are prepared to approve Assange’s request for a new appeal unless U.S. authorities provide additional assurances regarding his future. This decision ensures that the prolonged legal battle, spanning over a decade, will continue.
The case has been postponed until May 20th.
Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson stated that if the U.S. fails to provide assurances, they will authorize Assange to appeal his extradition on grounds such as violation of freedom of expression and the potential risk of facing the death penalty.
At a two-day hearing in the High Court in February, Assange’s attorney, Edward Fitzgerald, argued that the American authorities were aiming to punish him for WikiLeaks’ “exposure of criminality on the part of the U.S. government on an unprecedented scale,” including torture and killings.
Supporters of Assange contend that he is a journalist shielded by the First Amendment, who uncovered instances of U.S. military misconduct in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving the public interest.
They assert that his prosecution is politically driven and that he would not receive a fair trial in the United States.
The U.S. government has argued that Assange’s actions extended beyond journalism, involving the solicitation, theft, and indiscriminate publication of classified government documents, which put innocent lives at risk.
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