Extradition of Julian Assange , Approved by UK Judge.
Extradition of Julian Assange , Approved by UK Judge.
A British judge approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on April 20.
Assange watched the ruling from Belmarsh Prison, where he has been held since he was expelled from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
Assange faces a host of charges in the U.S., including spying.
The charges relate to the publication of classified documents on the WikiLeaks platform that occurred more than 10 years ago.
In approving the extradition, the judge
gives the authority over the case to the interior minister of the U.K.
While U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel could decide to extradite Assange to the U.S..
other legal options still remain
to appeal such a decision.
Lawyers for Assange will
also appeal directly to Patel.
They have four weeks to do so and have stated they will work toward making the "serious submissions.".
The charges against Assange include
17 counts of espionage. .
U.S. prosecutors contend that when Assange published classified communications intercepted by a U.S. Army analyst.
he not only broke the law but risked the lives of those affected by the communications.
Lawyers for Assange state that as a journalist, Assange is entitled to First Amendment protections.
and that the case against him is largely motivated by politics.
According to his lawyers, Assange faces up to 175 years in U.S. prison