Julian Assange loses final UK appeal against extradition to US

A London High Court judge has denied Julian Assange permission to appeal the extradition order to the United States, where he faces criminal charges under the Espionage Act.

The decision was made on Tuesday (6) and is the latest in a legal saga that has lasted for years. One of his allies told CNN on Thursday that a new feature will be presented next week.

In this week’s decision — which the CNN had access — Judge Swift states that Assange’s request was turned down because “none of the four grounds of appeal raise any duly moot point”.

In a separate ruling, the Superior Court judge also denied Assange permission to appeal and contest the dismissal of other parts of his case, which goes back to a ruling by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser in January 2021.

After reviewing eight proposed grounds of appeal, the judge argued that he does not consider the proposed appeals to be “duly moot.”

Assange, who is Australian, is wanted by US authorities on 18 criminal charges after WikiLeaks, the organization he founded, published thousands of classified documents and diplomatic cables in 2010 and 2011.

In April last year, a London court issued a formal extradition order to send the Australian to the US. The Home Office emphasized at the time that UK courts had not found his extradition incompatible with his human rights.

“The UK courts did not find it oppressive, unfair or an abuse of process to extradite Mr. Assange. Nor did they conclude that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and freedom of expression, and that while in the United States he will be adequately treated, including with regard to his health,” the statement said. decision.

In response to the latest ruling, Assange’s wife Stella said her husband’s legal team will file a new appeal with the same court next Tuesday.

“The matter will go to a public hearing before two new judges on the Supreme Court and we remain optimistic that we will win and that Julian will not be extradited, where he faces charges that could result in a lifetime imprisonment in maximum security for publishing information. true that revealed war crimes committed by the US government,” she wrote in a Twitter post.

Reaction to the decision

Assange is currently being held at Belmarsh Prison in south east London. He has been in the high-security facility since he was forcibly removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in central London and arrested by London Metropolitan Police in April 2019.

He has since served a sentence for breaching bail conditions when he entered a special diplomatic zone in 2012, but has remained in Belmarsh as he engages in the long fight against his deportation.

The charges against Assange, filed by the Eastern District of Virginia, allege that the WikiLeaks founder actively solicited classified information, pressuring former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain thousands of pages of material, including State Department diplomatic cables, Reports of significant activities related to the Iraq war and information related to Guantanamo Bay detainees.

If convicted, Assange faces up to 175 years in prison.

In January 2021, a UK judge rejected a US request to extradite Assange, ruling that such a move would be “oppressive” for his mental health.

That decision was overturned by the Supreme Court in December 2021 based on US government assurances about how he would likely be treated if extradited.

Assange supporters and human rights groups have long expressed concern over his US indictment, arguing that the extradition order undermines press freedom.

Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office described the latest court ruling as “disappointing”. He said in a Twitter post that allowing extradition “would set a dangerous precedent, threatening all of our rights to free speech.”

The reaction was similar from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), who said they were “deeply concerned” by the Supreme Court ruling against Assange, which leaves him “dangerously close” to being extradited.

“It is absurd that a single judge can issue a three-page decision that could put Julian Assange in prison for the rest of his life and permanently impact the climate of journalism around the world,” said Rebecca Vincent, director of campaigns at RSF.

“The historical weight of what happens next cannot be overstated; it is time to end this relentless attack on Assange and act to protect journalism and press freedom. Our appeal to President Biden is now more urgent than ever: Drop these charges, close the case against Assange and allow her release without delay.”

However, the International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) said they were “horrified” by the decision. IFJ President Dominique Pradalié called on the British and US governments to end their “grotesque persecution” of the embattled Australian. She added: “If Assange is arrested, no journalist on Earth will be safe.”

Source: CNN Brasil

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