A London court is set to deliver a crucial judgment on Tuesday regarding WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's potential final appeal in England to contest extradition to the United States on espionage charges. The ruling by two judges in the High Court could either conclude Assange's protracted legal battle or prolong it further.
If Assange is denied the right to appeal, there are concerns from his legal team that he may face swift extradition to the U.S. to face charges. However, they intend to seek intervention from the European Court of Human Rights to prevent any transfer.
Assange, aged 52, faces 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse related to the publication of classified U.S. documents by his website nearly 15 years ago. U.S. prosecutors allege that Assange collaborated with U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain diplomatic cables and military files that were subsequently published by WikiLeaks.
During a recent two-day hearing, Assange's lawyers argued that he acted as a journalist exposing U.S. military misconduct in Iraq and Afghanistan. They contend that sending him to the U.S. would subject him to a politically motivated trial and jeopardize the integrity of justice.
The U.S. government maintains that Assange's actions exceeded those of a traditional journalist by endangering lives through the solicitation, theft, and indiscriminate disclosure of classified government materials.
The Australian computer expert has been incarcerated in a high-security British prison for the past five years. Assange's family and supporters have expressed concerns about his deteriorating physical and mental health after enduring over a decade of legal battles, including seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London from 2012 to 2019.
Stella Assange, who married the WikiLeaks founder while he was in prison in 2022, asserted that Julian is a political prisoner who deserves release. Assange's legal team warns that he could face a maximum sentence of 175 years if convicted, although U.S. authorities suggest a shorter term is more likely.
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