On Tuesday, justices at the United Kingdom's High Court delayed their decision regarding whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the United States, ruling that the US must provide assurances before the case can proceed. Assange, 52, faces 18 criminal charges in the US, most of which fall under the Espionage Act, for distributing government documents via his website. If convicted, he could face up to 175 years in prison.
According to ABC News, Assange's legal team had set forth nine points that they felt the US needed to address before extradition could even be considered by the British court.
While six were dismissed, the justices found three to be adequate concerns. In their written decision, they said that the US must provide adequate proof that Assange will be allowed to rely on the free speech protections granted by the US Constitution's first amendment, that the fact Assange is Australian not prejudice his trial, and that even if he is convicted, the death penalty will not be an option.
"If those assurances are not given," they wrote, "then leave to appeal will be given and there will then be an appeal hearing. If assurances are given then the parties will have a further opportunity to make representations, and there will be a further hearing on May 20, 2024 to decide if the assurances are satisfactory, and to make a final decision on leave to appeal."
Lawyers representing the US at the High Court have been given three weeks to come back with assurances.
Outside the courthouse, Assange's wife, Stella, called the case "shameful," and urged the Biden administration not to provide the assurances, arguing that her husband was "being persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war in human lives," and "they should drop this shameful case, which should never have been brought."
As ABC News reports, Assange's legal team has made it clear that even if the High Court rules that he can be extradited, they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, which would delay the case even longer.
