Julian Assange’s Final Appeal Launches Against Extradition to U.S. on Espionage Charges
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is making a final plea to a U.K. court to block his extradition to the U.S. to face espionage charges. Assange has been imprisoned in London for nearly five years, and his lawyers argue that the public has a legitimate right to know the information he disclosed.
The appeal involves asking two London High Court judges to grant Assange a new hearing to overturn the British government’s decision to extradite him. Supporters, including Assange’s wife Stella, gathered at the Royal Courts of Justice to demand his release.
If the appeal is successful, Assange could take his case to the European Court of Human Rights to prevent his extradition. The U.S. has charged him with 18 counts related to the publication of classified documents in 2010, which could result in a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
Supporters of Assange argue that his extradition would violate press freedom and his right to a fair trial. Amnesty International has warned of potential torture if he is detained in the U.S. Stella Assange is concerned that her husband’s physical and mental health would not survive the extradition process.
Assange has been in custody since his arrest by London police in 2019, following seven years of seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden for a separate investigation that was later dropped.
As the legal battle reaches its final stages, the outcome will not only determine Assange’s fate but also have broader implications for press freedom and the treatment of whistleblowers around the world. Stay updated with Press Stories for the latest developments in this high-profile case.
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