A British court today granted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange the possibility of a new appeal against extradition to the US, where he is threatened with a lawsuit over the publication of numerous US classified documents.
The High Court in London today considered US guarantees about Assange's treatment in case of extradition.
The discussion mainly related to whether the 52-year-old Australian will be able to have protection based on the first amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech.
The hearing was held in court in the absence of Julian Assange, whose health, according to his relatives, has significantly weakened.
After a five-year court battle, which his supporters portray as a fight for freedom of information, Assange risked being quickly extradited to America if the appeal is not accepted.
His only hope would then be to turn to the European Court of Human Rights, to suspend the extradition decision.
Dozens of people gathered today in front of the court demanding that Assange be released. They waved placards that read "don't extradite Assange", and they also "called" American President Joe Biden with the slogan "Let him go Joe". The court's decision was greeted with loud approval and cheers.
Assange has been indicted in the US for releasing since 2010 more than 700.000 classified documents on US military and diplomatic activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, and faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted.
After numerous court proceedings, at the end of March, two judges from the High Court in London asked the US for new guarantees regarding the treatment of Assange in that country, if he is extradited, before ruling on the WikiLeaks founder's request to be given the possibility of a new appeal.
The judges today considered the response of the US authorities and decided whether to allow him to appeal again. They wanted assurances that Assange would not face the death penalty, and that in case of extradition he could be protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of expression.
Assange's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, expressed concern at the start of the hearing that the First Amendment did not apply to his client, since he is not American, and said there was no guarantee he could rely on it.
Assange was arrested by the British police in April 2019 after seven years spent in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he took refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden in the case of an investigation into the alleged rape, which was suspended that same year.
Since then, numerous calls have been made to American President Joe Biden to drop the charges against him. Australia made an official request in this sense at the beginning of 2024. The US president said at the time that he was considering the proposal, which raised hopes among Assange's supporters.
In January 2021, a British court initially ruled in Assange's favor, citing the risk of suicide if extradited, but later overturned that decision.
During the last days of the hearing in February, Assange was already absent for health reasons. His lawyers said that extradition would endanger his health and even his life, and that the proceedings against him are "political".
Lawyer Claire Dobbin, who represents the US government, said that Assange released the documents indiscriminately, knowing the names of individuals who served as sources of information for the US.
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