Wikileaks editor Julian Assange has lost his appeal against extradition to the US. Judge Holdroyde ruled that the US appeal was allowed. Assange has been detained in Belmarsh prison since 2019. Prior to that, he was in the Ecuadorian Embassy. The speed of any extradition now appears to depend on home secretary Priti Patel.
Assange is wanted by the US in connection with the publication of thousands of documents about the Iraq War. Previously a judge ruled against Assange being extradited due to his mental health. The US appealed this decision.
US journalist Kevin Gosztola was in the courtroom:
Holroyde makes clear the appeal was "limited to the issue of whether the district judge was wrong to find that Mr. Assange’s decision was such that it would be oppressive to extradite him."
— Kevin Gosztola (@kgosztola) December 10, 2021
The extradition case will now be handed over to the US Secretary of State:
BREAKING NEWS: High Court rules in favor of US government and overturns the district judge decision that blocked Julian Assange's extradition. Case is remitted to Westminster Magistrates Court and instructed to send case to Secretary of State for extradition.
— Kevin Gosztola (@kgosztola) December 10, 2021
It appears that Assange still has options for appeal. Though this is being described as a very serious loss:
Options for appeal / cross appeals open to Assange legal team of course, but it's a bad setback for him and one that will likely have taken a lot of people by surprise
— Ben Quinn (@BenQuinn75) December 10, 2021
Barrister Adam Wagner tweeted some of the specifics of the decision. The courts claim that the US has provided a satisfactory “package of assurances”.
Julian Assange – High Court rules that he can be extradited to the USA.
Summary https://t.co/ng47ruXwHF
Judgment https://t.co/YzY8wBgsd1 pic.twitter.com/7A5COdrzah— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) December 10, 2021
Assange’s treatment at the hands of the authorities has been a topic of controversy. In 2020, the Lancet medical journal argued that his treatment amounted to torture and medical neglect.
Some have argued that due to alleged CIA plans to assassinate Assange, he should not be handed over to the US.
As Wikileaks pointed out yesterday, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) share this view:
National Union of Journalists: CIA reportedly plotted to kidnap and assassinate Julian Assange – we demand his release #FreeAssangeNOW #ASsangeCase https://t.co/kBbNysC4Il pic.twitter.com/d1J8Ij7Sjv
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 10, 2021
For now, Assange’s fate lays with home secretary Priti Patel.
By Joe Glenton
This post was originally published on The Canary.