The decision is now down to Priti Patel to approve
A UK court has issued an order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US to face espionage charges.
The decision, handed down at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, will now be down to Home Secretary Priti Patel to approve, although Assange’s lawyers may yet appeal to the High Court.
The 50-year-old is wanted in America over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Assange, who has always denied wrongdoing, has been confined in Belmarsh maximum-security prison since 2019, when he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
He did not attend Wednesday’s hearing instead, watching proceedings from Belmarch via video link.
Journalism is not a crime.
This morning @jeremycorbyn joined campaigners demanding freedom for Julian Assange at Westminster Magistrates Court.#FreeJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/Y5iuKkvHZm
— Peace & Justice Project (@corbyn_project) April 20, 2022
BREAKING: A UK judge has ordered the extradition of Julian Assange to the US where he will face a 175 year sentence for publishing
The decision will now move to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel – the defense have until May 18 to make submissions https://t.co/m1bX8STSr8 pic.twitter.com/BqEZH0O49O
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 20, 2022
Dozens of supporters gathered outside the court with placards reading “don’t extradite Assange”.
They were joined by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who told those assembled: “He’s done absolutely no more than telling the truth to the world. “We will carry on campaigning.”
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