- Title: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange awaits decision on extradition case
- Date: 20th April 2022
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - AUGUST 19, 2012) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** CROWD OF ASSANGE SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE ECUADOR EMBASSY, WHERE ASSANGE SOUGHT REFUGE WHILE APPLYING FOR ASYLUM ASSANGE ADDRESSING CROWD FROM BALCONY (SOUNDBITE) (English) WIKILEAKS FOUNDER, JULIAN ASSANGE, SAYING: "As WikiLeaks stands under threat so does the freedom of expression and the health of all our societies." EXTERIOR OF HARRODS STORE WITH CROWD OF POLICE, SUPPORTERS AND MEDIA OUTSIDE / POLICE IN FRONT OF EMBASSY AND ASSANGE ADDRESSING CROWD FROM BALCONY ASSANGE GIVING HOLDING THUMBS UP SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - DECEMBER 20, 2012) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) ASSANGE ON ECUADOR EMBASSY BALCONY RAISING FIST IN AIR, SAYING (English): "Good evening London" MEDIA, POLICE AND SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE EMBASSY, HARRODS STORE LIT UP WITH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) WIKILEAKS FOUNDER, JULIAN ASSANGE, SAYING: "Next year will be equally busy. WikiLeaks has already over a million documents being prepared to be released; documents that affect every country in the world." MEMBERS OF MEDIA BEHIND BARRIERS SUPPORTERS HOLDING PLACARDS AND CANDLES, PLACARD READING (English): "Don't shoot the messenger" ASSANGE WAVING AND WALKING BACK INSIDE EMBASSY LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 19, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ECUADOR EMBASSY VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICER ON DUTY AT ENTRANCE TO EMBASSY
- 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: LVA00J801701011970RP1
- 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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