A British judge handed over Julian Assange’s extradition request to Home Secretary Priti Patel on Wednesday. This is the final step in the surrender of the Wikileaks founder to the United States judiciary.
The 50yearold Australian, who denies any wrongdoing, has been in Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison in England since 2019. Before that, he was at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years.
1 of 1 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a 2021 photo in London — Photo: Reuters/Simon Dawson
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a 2021 photo in London — Photo: Reuters/Simon Dawson
In March, Assange’s defense denied the opportunity to appeal the extradition request. The order now only needs to be signed for by Patel before it can be shipped to the US.
The United States is demanding his extradition to face trial on 18 counts related to the disclosure of extensive military records and confidential diplomatic documents for more than a decade. In the USA he faces a prison sentence of 175 years.
Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, marries in prison
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange married his longtime partner Stella Moris in a highsecurity prison in southeast London in March. Four guests attended the small ceremony: two official witnesses and two guards.