Supreme Court rules

Assange may appeal against extradition to the USA

Julian Assange in a prison van

(Bild: AFP)

Julian Assange can hope again: The WikiLeaks founder can once again appeal against his impending extradition to the USA. The High Court in London partially granted the Australian-born man's application on Monday. This means that an immediate transfer of the 52-year-old to the USA has been averted for the time being.

Assange's team was relieved. "This is a victory," the current head of WikiLeaks, Kristinn Hrafnsson, told the German Press Agency after the ruling. Numerous Assange supporters cheered outside the court and his lawyers hugged each other in the courtroom. In a hearing lasting just under two hours, they had previously convinced the judges that the Australian should be allowed to present his arguments in a full appeal. A date for this has not yet been set, but according to commentators it is likely to take several months.

The High Court focused on the question of whether Assange can invoke the right to freedom of expression as a foreign national in the US. The judges had initially postponed the decision at the end of March and demanded assurances from the USA. However, these did not initially convince the court.

Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if extradited
The US government wants to try Assange on espionage charges. He faces up to 175 years in prison. Washington accuses him of stealing and publishing secret material from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, thereby endangering the lives of US informants. Assange's supporters, on the other hand, see him as being targeted by the US justice system for exposing US war crimes.

Stella Assange, who, like Assange's father John Shipton, followed the hearing in the courtroom, fears for his life due to the expected harsh prison conditions in the USA and her husband's unstable psyche. She called on US President Joe Biden to drop the charges. "Just stop this shameful attack on journalists, the press and the public that has been going on for 14 years," she said after the court decision.

Australian government demands release
In addition to an appeal process, Assange's supporters are probably pinning their hopes above all on a political solution. The Australian government is now campaigning for the release of its citizen. The Australian parliament recently passed a resolution calling on the USA and Great Britain to end the prosecution of Assange. Head of government Anthony Albanese emphasized that the matter had been dragging on for too long.

US President Joe Biden recently raised some hope among Assange supporters. When asked whether the Australian demand for an end to the prosecution would be examined, he said: "We are considering it." Albanese called the statement "encouraging".

In custody for years without conviction
Assange has been in Belmarsh high-security prison in London for almost five years. Prior to his arrest in April 2019, he had spent several years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London evading law enforcement authorities. They had initially targeted him for rape allegations in Sweden. However, these accusations were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. He is now in prison without a conviction.

Numerous human rights organizations, journalists' associations, artists and politicians are calling for Assange's immediate release.