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Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Wins Right to Appeal His US Extradition

https://youtu.be/I040jF6GSjw?si=k5UscFy9YUXj7-xc

The UK High Court ruled on Monday that imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal a US extradition request. Washington has demanded that Assange be handed over to stand trial on espionage charges related to his website’s coverage of America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a long-running legal battle, Assange’s lawyers have consistently argued against the extradition request, asserting that the 52-year-old would not receive a fair trial in the US and could potentially face harsh treatment or even the death penalty.

In response, the US has provided diplomatic assurances, stating that Assange would not be held in a maximum-security prison or subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, would not face the death penalty, and would be guaranteed First Amendment rights to free speech.

However, British judges ruled on Monday that these assurances were insufficient, allowing Assange’s legal team to proceed with their appeal against the extradition request.

Former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn welcomed the High Court’s decision. Assange’s wife, Stella, also applauded the court’s verdict, calling it the “right decision.” She criticized the US for its prolonged persecution of her husband and urged for all charges to be dropped.

Amnesty International’s Simon Crowther hailed the decision as a “rare piece of positive news for Julian Assange and all defenders of press freedom.”

Assange will remain in London’s top-security Belmarsh Prison as a new round of legal battles over his fate unfolds in British courts. The Australian citizen has been held in the facility for the past five years, ever since his arrest in 2019 following the revocation of his asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The decision by the two senior British judges overseeing Assange’s case concluded that the diplomatic assurances provided by Washington were not sufficient. This ruling has allowed the appeal against the extradition to move forward, marking a significant step in Assange’s ongoing legal struggle.

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