- Title: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange awaits decision on extradition case
- Date: 20th April 2022
- Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (FILE - JANUARY 4, 2021) (REUTERS VIA ZOOM) SOUNDBITE (English) LAWYER FOR ASSANGE, JENNIFER ROBINSON, SAYING: "A judge has today ruled that Julian Assange will not be extradited to the United States on the grounds that his extradition would be oppressive, she made that finding on the basis of the prison conditions that he would face once returned to the United States and the combination of the suicide risk to Mr Assange personally because of his particular medical conditions and his depression. This is an important win and a ruling that should be celebrated, but let's not forget that she also made some very problematic findings on the free speech aspects of this case."
- Embargoed: 4th May 2022 11:39
- Keywords: Ecuadorian embassy Julian Assange London United States Wikileaks founder appeal arrest warrant extradition hearing
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: UK
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00W801701011970RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was on Tuesday (May 31) awaiting a decision on his potential extradition to the United States.
Wikileaks said on Tuesday a decision was expected shortly.
In April, a British judge sent the case of the Wikileaks founder to interior minister Priti Patel to decide whether Assange should be extradited to the United States over the release of confidential U.S. documents.
The procedural step, in what has been a long-running and high-profile legal battle, was announced at a hearing in central London following a March decision to deny Australian-born Assange permission to appeal against his extradition.
The extradition order must now be signed by Patel, after which Assange can try to challenge the decision by judicial review. A judicial review involves a judge examining the legitimacy of a public body's decision.
Assange, 50, is wanted in the United States on 18 criminal charges, including breaking a spying law, after WikiLeaks published thousands of secret U.S. files in 2010.
He denies any wrongdoing.
Assange has been in a southeast London jail since 2019, and before that was holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in the British capital for seven years.
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