UK Court to hear Julian Assange final appeal to stop US extradition

The High Court of London in the UK is about to hear the final appeal of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange today to stop his extradition to the US. He is facing a US trial for disclosing secret military and diplomatic secrets.

The United States of America wants Julian Assange extradited after being prosecuted numerous times between 2018 and 2020. His crime refers to the 2010 publishing of Wikileaks content linked to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in last-ditch bid to avoid US extradition https://t.co/H4Hju8ytJv
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 20, 2024

Meanwhile, Julian Assange has been in United Kingdom prison for nearly five years. He faced UK imprisonment on behalf of the US. He had conspiracy charges to commit computer intrusion and hacking into the government system. In this regard, UK police arrested him on April 11, 2019. He was serving his tenure in the Ecuadorian embassy in London at the time of his arrest.

His jail sentence in the United Kingdom is about to end. The United States wants his custody from the UK. The lawyer of Julian filed in London High Court to stop his extradition to the US as he may face serious mental health issues or commit suicide. However, US authorities ensure his mental well-being.

Following that, the London High Court of the UK to hear the US extradition case of Julian Assange. The long-running legal dispute in British court is approaching its end after Julian lost successive verdicts in recent years.

If this week’s two-day appeal is successful, Julian will be given another chance to defend his case in a London court with a full hearing scheduled. If Julian loses it, he will have finished all UK options and face US extradition. He may face up to 175 years jail sentence following US charges against him.

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US charges against Julian date back to 2010 when he published tens of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents. Chelsea Manning, an Army intelligence analyst, leaked these documents. The leaked documents also included footage showing a US helicopter attack on civilians in Baghdad.

However, Julian’s wife, Stella Assange, has stated that they will request the European Court of Human Rights temporarily delay the US extradition of Julian. According to Stella, if the UK court allows the extradition of Julian to the US, he will die.

Stella stated that tomorrow and the day after will determine whether he lives or dies essentially. He is obviously in a severe condition physically and mentally.