Assange appeal ruling to be given by London High Court today

LONDON: London’s High Court will hand down its ruling on Tuesday on whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be able to appeal against extradition from Britain to the United States, in what could be his final legal challenge in British courts.

US prosecutors want to put Assange, 52, on trial on criminal charges relating to WikiLeaks’ high-profile release of vast troves of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables.

They argue the leaks imperilled the lives of their agents and there was no excuse for his criminality. Assange’s supporters hail him as a hero of journalism who is being prosecuted for exposing US wrongdoing.

Britain gave the go-ahead for his extradition in 2022, and he has since been trying to overturn that decision.

His first attempt to appeal against the transfer was refused, leading to a two-day hearing last month when his lawyers sought to reverse that judgment.

Two senior judges will hand down their ruling at 1030 GMT on Tuesday.

If Assange wins, a full appeal hearing will be held to again consider his challenge. If he loses, his last option would be an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

“This is it. DECISION TOMORROW,” his wife Stella Assange posted on X.

Julian Assange’s legal battles began in 2010, and he subsequently spent seven years holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London before he was dragged out and jailed in 2019 for breaching bail conditions.