2 yıl önce

UK court approves Assange extradition to US

The case will now go to Britain’s interior minister for a decision, though the WikiLeaks founder still has legal avenues of appeal.

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Julian Assange could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, although the exact sentence is difficult to estimate.

A UK court has issued a formal order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face trial over the publication of secret files relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The ruling on Wednesday by a magistrate in central London brings the long-running legal saga in the UK courts closer to a conclusion.

The decision now rests with interior minister Priti Patel, although Assange may still appeal within 14 days of any decision to approve the extradition.

Assange's lawyers have until May 18 to make representations to Patel and could potentially launch further appeals on other points in the case.

"No appeal to the High Court has yet been filed by him in respect of the other important issues he raised previously," his lawyers Birnberg Peirce Solicitors said in a statement last month.

"That separate process of appeal has, of course, yet to be initiated."

175 years in jail

Assange was last month denied permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against moves to extradite him to the US, where he could face a lifetime in prison.

Washington wants to put him on trial in connection with the publication of 500,000 secret military files relating to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Assange is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010.

He could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, although the exact sentence is difficult to estimate.

The case has become a controversial issue for media freedom, with Assange's supporters accusing Washington of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns.

Assange has been held on remand at a top-security jail in southeast London since 2019 for jumping bail in a previous case accusing him of sexual assault in Sweden.

That case was dropped but he was not released from prison after serving time for breaching bail on the grounds he was a flight risk in the US extradition case.

SOURCE: AFP