London High Court to rule on Julian Assange’s appeal Tuesday

The High Court in London is set to reveal its ruling on Tuesday concerning the possibility of Julian Assange, the creator of WikiLeaks, being able to contest his transfer from the UK to the US

 The High Court in London will announce its decision on Tuesday regarding whether Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, can challenge his extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. This could mark his final legal attempt in British courts. American prosecutors seek to try Assange for his involvement in the release of confidential U.S. military documents and diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks. They claim that the leaks endangered their operatives and that Assange’s actions were unjustifiable. On the other hand, supporters of Assange view him as a journalism hero who is facing prosecution for uncovering U.S. misconduct. 

In 2022, the U.K. approved his extradition, prompting Assange to contest the decision. After an initial appeal was rejected, a hearing took place last month where his legal team aimed to reverse the ruling. The verdict from two senior judges is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. GMT on Tuesday. If Assange succeeds, a comprehensive appeal hearing will follow. However, if he loses, his final recourse would be appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. 

Stella Assange, his wife, shared on social media platform X that a decision will be made tomorrow. Assange’s legal troubles began in 2010, leading to his confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years. Subsequently, he was arrested in 2019 for violating bail terms. Since then, he has been detained in a high-security prison in southeast London, even tying the knot there. 

During the February hearings, Assange’s defense argued that the prosecution was politically driven, alleging that he was being singled out for revealing “state-level offenses.” They claimed that former President Donald Trump had explored options to eliminate Assange. Conversely, U.S. attorneys stated that Assange was not charged for publishing the leaked data but for collaborating with Chelsea Manning to unlawfully acquire and disclose the information, endangering sources. 

In 2010, WikiLeaks gained attention by releasing a video depicting a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that resulted in casualties, including Reuters journalists. Recently, Assange’s U.S. lawyer mentioned that there were no signs of a resolution in his case after reports emerged suggesting the U.S. Justice Department might allow him to plead guilty to a lesser offense. 

Source: Reuters