The High Court of England and Wales has completed two days of hearings on whether to start extradition proceedings to the United States for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange or to begin consideration of his appeal on the merits. Following the hearings, the judges said they would make a final decision later, The Independent reports, UNN reports.
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Mr. Assange was absent from the hearing on both days. His lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, said that his client was not in good health, so he could not attend the hearings even via video link. The defense insists that the criminal prosecution of the WikiLeaks founder is politically motivated, so his extradition from the UK is contrary to British law.
Claire Dobbin, the United States' representative in the court, said that Mr. Assange's prosecution was not based on his political views, but on his actions that led to the leak of documents and jeopardized the prosecution of many US whistleblowers. During the hearing, dozens of supporters of the WikiLeaks founder demonstrated outside the High Court.
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Since June 2012, Julian Assange has been living on the territory of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. In April 2019, Ecuador revoked his diplomatic asylum. After that, the WikiLeaks founder was detained by the British police. In June 2022, the UK approved his extradition to the United States, where he is accused of publishing confidential military documents and diplomatic cables.
In March 2023, the British Supreme Court denied Julian Assange the opportunity to appeal the decision to extradite him. According to Julian Assange's wife, the request to the British court was the last opportunity to block his transfer to the United States. In September, a French court rejected Assange's request for political asylum.