Updated April 20, 2022 | 1:48 pm
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WikiLeaks Founder Supporter Protest
Photo: APA/AFP/dpa
NoAfter years of legal wrangling, a British court formally approved on Wednesday the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. The Westminster Magistrates Court issued the extradition order, which, however, must be approved by British Home Secretary Priti Patel. Australian Assange, 50, faces a life sentence in the United States for publishing secret documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Assange’s lawyers have already announced that they will appeal Patel’s decision if he agrees, and may appeal other aspects of the process. In mid-March, the UK Supreme Court ruled not to consider Assange’s extradition appeal. The court justified the decision by saying that the request “does not raise controversial legal issues”. Assange’s legal team then announced the start of a separate appeals process.
In the US, Assange was accused of spying and publishing hundreds of thousands of secret documents on the informal platform WikiLeaks about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The documents contained explosive information about US operations in these countries, including the killing of civilians and the mistreatment of prisoners.
If convicted in the US, Assange faces up to 175 years in prison. The 50-year-old and his supporters have repeatedly criticized the proceedings as politically motivated.
Reporters Without Borders, however, called for the WikiLeaks founder’s release. “We urge the Home Secretary to act in accordance with Britain’s commitment to upholding freedom of the press and refusing extradition,” said London Representative Rebecca Vincent. Assange, who has been in prison for more than three years, is due to be released from prison immediately.