U.K. court delays decision on Julian Assange’s extradition to U.S.
LONDON—British judges ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can’t immediately be extradited to the U.S. to face spying charges, opening the way for months of further legal wrangling over the fate of the former hacker. Assange, 52, who has spent the past five years in a London prison, is fighting a drawn-out legal battle with the British government to avoid being sent to the U.S.
to face trial for publishing thousands of confidential military records and diplomatic cables that painted a highly critical picture of America’s actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. British courts approved Assange’s extradition to the U.S. in 2022, a decision he has since been trying to overturn.
His lawyers last month argued that he should be given one final appeal, saying he faced prosecution in the U.S. for his political views, and that extradition would be an attack on his right to free speech. Judges in the High Court on Tuesday sided with Assange’s lawyers, saying he had “a real prospect of success" on several of his grounds to appeal.
The court said the U.S. now has three weeks to give further assurances that Assange won’t be subject to prejudice at trial, that the Australian will be granted the same free-speech protections as a U.S. citizen and that the death penalty won’t be imposed.
The court will decide on May 20 if the assurances are satisfactory and make a final decision on whether Assange can appeal extradition. U.S. prosecutors alleged that in 2010 Assange conspired to help former U.S.
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