On March 26, in a ruling by Britain’s High Court, it was determined that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has the right to launch a new appeal against extradition to the United States on charges of spying. However, this appeal can only proceed if the U.S. government provides assurances that his First Amendment rights will be safeguarded.
The United States has been given a three-week deadline by a two-judge panel to provide clarification on whether Julian Assange, an Australian, will be able to use the constitutional free speech defense. It is important to note that Assange should not face the death sentence, which is the highest punishment for espionage.
The 66-page judgment stated that if the necessary assurances are not provided, an opportunity to appeal will be granted, leading to an appeal hearing.
The parties will have another chance to present their arguments for and against at a hearing on May 20th. This hearing will determine whether Assange will be granted leave to appeal.
According to the ruling, Mr. Assange will not be extradited right away. The ruling also mentions that he has a genuine chance of success on three out of the nine grounds of appeal that he has been pursuing.
Julian Assange’s wife, Stella Assange, expressed her astonishment at the ruling to extend the delay on his appeal. She shared her disbelief while speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. Stella highlighted the fact that Julian had been in high-security prison remand since April 2019, making the decision even more surprising.
She expressed her astonishment at the courts’ decision, stating that it has essentially opened the door for political interference from the United States.
Julian Assange has been engaged in a relentless battle against extradition ever since the U.S. Justice Department formally requested it in 2019. Despite his continuous efforts through a series of legal battles, he has been unsuccessful in his quest. This culminated in then-Home Secretary Priti Patel signing an extradition warrant in June 2022, following the High Court’s refusal to grant him permission to appeal three months prior.
Last month, he initiated the final legal attempt to halt the process by launching it in the high court.
According to U.S. prosecutors, he endangered lives by assisting U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in the theft of diplomatic cables and classified military files. These stolen documents were subsequently published on his whistleblowing website in 2010.
The charges against him include 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer misuse, all related to Wikileaks’ publication of the documents.
Julian Assange’s legal team argues that his actions were in line with standard journalistic practices, which involve sourcing and publishing information that the public has a legitimate right to know. They claim that he is being persecuted for revealing criminality within the U.S. government.
According to the U.S. government’s legal counsel, James Lewis, Julian Assange’s actions posed a threat to the strategic and national security interests of the United States. The exposure of individuals named in the files, including Iraqis and Afghans loyal to U.S. forces, put them at risk of serious physical harm.
In February, the Australian government supported a motion that called for the extradition of Julian Assange back to Australia.
According to MP Andrew Wilkie, the sponsor of the motion, it conveys a strong political message to both the British and U.S. governments. He believes that the British government should not even consider the possibility of extraditing Mr. Assange to the U.S.
According to Wilkie, if Julian Assange is extradited from the United Kingdom to face trial, it would directly threaten press freedom. This move would establish a concerning precedent, putting all journalists at risk of imprisonment for simply carrying out their jobs.
The Australian government has directly addressed Julian Assange’s case with the United States.
