U.S. Wins Appeal in Julian Assange Case, Bringing His Extradition Closer
Criminal Justice,Espionage Act,Free Speech,Julian Assange,WikiLeaks,Supreme Court,United Kingdom
The U.S. government won an appeal in its bid to extradite Julian Assange, clearing an important hurdle in Washington’s yearslong battle to put the WikiLeaks founder on trial on spying charges.
The decision by the U.K. High Court to overturn a lower-court ruling isn’t the end of the case. Lawyers representing Mr. Assange said they would seek permission to appeal the ruling at the U.K. Supreme Court, setting the stage for weeks or even months of further legal wrangling, lawyers say.
In their ruling, Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett and Lord Justice Tim Holroyde said diplomatic assurances given by the U.S. that Mr. Assange wouldn’t be held under the strictest maximum-security conditions if extradited were sufficient to clear the path to extradition. The High Court said Mr. Assange should remain in prison while the process continues.
“We are pleased by the ruling and have no further comment,” a Justice Department spokeswoman said.
A judge in January concluded that Mr. Assange would likely have attempted suicide if extradited and held in harsh conditions in a federal penitentiary, and refused his extradition. Under British extradition law, as well as European human-rights law that the U.K. is party to, a judge can block extradition on health grounds if it would result in unjust or oppressive treatment.
That ruling marked a major setback in Washington’s pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder for publishing secret documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The subsequent U.S. appeal made clear that the Justice Department under President Biden would continue to pursue Mr. Assange, whose case has ignited debate over the scope of press freedom in the internet age and sparked concern that conventional media outlets and reporters could similarly be pursued for publishing government secrets.
The U.S. first sought his arrest in January 2017, before formally requesting his extradition in 2019. Mr. Assange’s defenders have lobbied the U.S. to drop the case.
