What is the fate of Julian Assange? Whether the Wikileaks co-founder will end his days in an American prison cell will be decided today, February 21, by Britain's Supreme Court, which will decide whether or not to grant extradition to the US, where 18 charges remain The head of the prosecution against the journalist and a possible prison sentence of 175 years for disclosing thousands of confidential files and reporting on abuses by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Assange is sick
Yesterday, Assange did not attend the hearing of what could be his final trial in the UK. Rumor has it that he broke a rib from coughing. Furthermore, it is hard to deny that after five years of isolation he has been in precarious and poor health for some time. His lawyer, Ed Fitzgerald, indicated at the start of the hearing that he was unwell and, despite being allowed to attend in person, he remained without permission to attend Belmarsh maximum security prison in London, where he has been held since 2019. He was undergoing trial and waiting for his extradition.
What does the USA accuse him of?
The WikiLeaks co-founder had turned to the English court to appeal against his extradition to the US, where he is wanted for violating the National Espionage Act, the 1917 American espionage law. He is accused of having published around 700,000 confidential documents relating to the military and diplomatic activities of the United States since 2010, particularly war crimes committed by US soldiers during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. And thereby putting many lives in danger. But in all the years of similar incidents, no responsibility has been identified so far, at least according to the news. According to the allegations, he would instead be a spy who should be tried, and as such, if found guilty, he could face up to 175 years in prison in a US penitentiary.
An appeal to the ECHR is the last chance
But the English courts rejected the US request in 2021 but later overturned the ruling. More years have passed and now we have reached a point of no return. If the appeal is not upheld, the Belmarsh prisoner's ability to take legal action in the UK will be over and the only solution in this regard would be an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, the ECtHR. Meanwhile, there are also questions about the potential diplomatic impact of the litigation, as Australia wants Assange to return to his home country without being extradited to the US. The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, Anthony Albanese, also spoke about this during his recent trip to the USA.
The woman: “It has been decided whether he will live or die.”
Stella Moris, a lawyer and Julian's wife, told the BBC that this legal case – described by some as the Dreyfus case of the 21st century – “is designed to determine whether he lives or dies.” At the Royal Courts of Justice in London, home of the English High Court, numerous activists and supporters of the Australian journalist spoke throughout the day yesterday from an improvised position, calling for his release as well as freedom of the press and defense of people's rights. “If he is not free, no one is free,” reads the slogan, while gold ribbons read “Free Julian Assange now!” They fluttered outside the courthouse, on metal railings or hanging from tree branches.
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