The British Supreme Court said on Monday (14) that it would not accept an appeal by the defense of Wikileaks creator Julian Assange, 50, to avoid his extradition to the United States, where he is accused of violating an espionage law. and conspiring against the government.
At the end of last year, the activist had already suffered a defeat in court, after the Americans appealed against a January decision of a court of first instance that denied the extradition process. At the time, the judge in the case ruled that the Wikileaks founder could commit suicide if he were taken to the US.
In December, however, the second instance refuted the defense’s arguments and accepted the extradition request. Along the same lines, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that it would refuse the appeal on the grounds that “the request does not present a question of debatable law”, in the words of a spokesperson for the body.
The decision of the highest instance is linked to a package of guarantees given by the US for the extradition to be accepted.
Assange’s lawyers said Monday that the decision to extradite him on the basis of those promises was “highly disturbing”.
“We regret that the opportunity has not been taken to consider the troubling circumstances in which requesting States may provide qualified assurances after the conclusion of a full evidentiary hearing,” they stated in a statement.
The extradition will now need to be ratified by British Home Secretary Priti Patel. Most likely she will accept the request, but Assange could still try to challenge the decision in court, and the defense will have four weeks to try to convince the government to cancel the transfer to the US. The review would be based on the legitimacy of a public body’s decision, not the request itself.
A spokesperson for the Secretary of the Interior told Reuters news agency it would not be appropriate to comment on the court’s decision.
US officials accuse Assange of 18 crimes related to Wikileaks’ disclosure of more than 700,000 classified White House recordings and documents.
Among the information made public by Assange that resonated the most is a video showing civilians, including two Reuters journalists, being killed by gunfire from an American combat helicopter in Iraq in July 2007.
US officials say more than 100 people were put at risk following the Wikileaks disclosures and that about 50 needed assistance — with some of them fleeing their home countries to move to the US or another country where they could be safe.
While waiting for his case to be processed, Assange is preparing to, according to The Guardian, marry on the 23rd with lawyer Stella Moris. The ceremony will be held in prison.
This Monday, Moris reposted throughout the day publications that condemn the Supreme Court’s decision and that try to pressure the Secretary of the Interior. “His life [Assange] is in Priti Patel’s hands,” read one post.
Reporters Without Borders also criticized British justice and said in a statement that it was deeply disappointed. “RSF urges the Secretary of the Interior to act in the interests of journalism and press freedom by refusing extradition and releasing Assange immediately from prison.”
In all, Assange spent more than nine years deprived of liberty. First, he took refuge in 2012 at the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid being extradited to Sweden on sexual assault charges — later shelved for lack of evidence.
Later, when then-Ecuadorian President LenÃn Moreno removed the protection, the Australian was taken to a maximum-security penitentiary near London.
