The British justice accepted this Friday (10) an appeal from the United States government so that the Australian Julian Assange, 50, founder of Wikileaks, is extradited to face criminal charges, including violation of a law of espionage and conspiracy against the American government.
In January, a lower court had denied the US request, saying Assange was in danger of killing himself if he was extradited. The US government’s defense, for its part, argued in October that the decision had ignored other reports presented on the Australian’s mental health.
Judge Timothy Holroyde, who upheld the appeal, said he was satisfied with the package of guarantees presented by Washington, such as his promise not to keep Assange in a Colorado maximum security prison and his transfer to Australia for to serve the sentence if convicted.
Assange’s defense, coordinated by former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, alleges that the few guarantees offered by the US government do not change the fact that the founder of Wikileaks is in danger of committing suicide.
Although it opens the way for extradition, the positive nod given by the British justice this Friday is not the last step. Judge Holroyde detailed that the case must now be referred to Westminster Magistrates’ Court and the British government.
In addition, Assange’s defense must appeal. In a short statement, the Australian’s fiancee, Stella Moris, said her legal team would appeal “as soon as possible” of the ruling.
Assange was the target of 18 charges related to the disclosure of a vast collection of confidential US military and diplomatic records in 2010 that, taken together, carry a maximum sentence of 175 years. According to US officials, leaks of classified information have put lives in danger.
He and the WikiLeaks website became famous in 2010 after the publication of nearly 700,000 classified military and diplomatic documents that placed the US in a delicate situation.
Among the publications was a video showing American helicopters firing at civilians in Iraq in the 2007 attack that killed at least ten people in Baghdad, including two journalists from the Reuters news agency.
US officials say more than 100 people were put at risk after the WikiLeaks disclosures and about 50 needed assistance, with some fleeing their home countries with their families to move to the US or another safe country.
Assange’s supporters call him an anti-establishment hero and reiterate the discourse that attacking his job is attacking journalism and free speech with political motives.
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