A London court approved the extradition order for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, moving him closer to being transferred to the United States, where he will be tried under the Espionage Act.
After a year-long legal battle, the court issued a formal extradition order on Wednesday, leaving UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to authorize his transport to the United States. According to a CNN report, Assange has the right to appeal the ruling.
Following Wikileaks' publication of thousands of confidential documents and diplomatic cables in 2010, he is wanted in the United States on 18 criminal counts. If found guilty, Assange could be imprisoned for up to 175 years.
Assange participated in the hearing remotely from London's Belmarsh Prison, where he has been detained since being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy three years ago.
Assange's Mental Health Considered
Since his arrest, which occurred after Assange requested diplomatic asylum in the embassy for seven years, his extradition has been the topic of countless court hearings. A magistrates' court judgment in January 2021 determined that extraditing Assange would be "oppressive" due to his mental condition.
In December, however, the High Court overruled that decision, ruling that Assange might be transferred to the United States based on guarantees from the US government concerning his safety there.
It includes assurances that Assange would not face "special administrative measures" or be incarcerated in a maximum-security prison pre or post-trial.
The legal counsel for Assange now has four weeks to present their submissions to Patel, as per EuroNews. They may take their case to the High Court of the United Kingdom. Mark Summers, Assange's lawyer, told the court that his client's team of lawyers had "serious" appeals to present.
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Alleged Sex Crimes And Marriage
Since his arrest in 2019 for skipping bail during a separate court struggle, Assange has been incarcerated at Britain's high-security Belmarsh Prison. He had previously spent seven years at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, attempting to evade extradition to Sweden, where he was accused of rape and sexual abuse.
The sex crimes investigations in Sweden were terminated in November 2019 due to much time had elapsed.
According to the Department of Justice, Assange has been charged with 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer usage. Per Fox News, the charges stem from allegations that he assisted Chelsea Manning, a former Army computer analyst, in obtaining secret US records unlawfully.
In 2010, Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison following his arrest. However, President Barack Obama shortened Manning's sentence, allowing him to be released the same year.
The founder of WikiLeaks married his fiancée, Stella Moris, at Belmarsh prison in London last month, CNN reported.
The couple announced their engagement in November 2021. They were granted permission by the governor and prison officials to conduct their marriage ceremony in prison after months of negotiations.
According to the WikiLeaks media team, "only four guests and two witnesses" were allowed to attend the rites. The guests left the event immediately even though it was held "during normal visiting hours."
