Julian Assange awaits his last chance before British justice to avoid extradition to the United States

Judicial journey of the founder of wikileaks, Julian AssangeIn this United Kingdom It may end soon. He High Court of England and Wales Hearings begin this Tuesday to decide whether to give way extradition From Assange to usaWhere for revealing thousands he has to face a prison sentence of up to 175 years classified documents From the Pentagon on Wars Iraq and of afghanistan, The defense of the journalist, who has been in provisional prison since 2019, has warned of the risk that extradition could pose to him physical and mental health And have accused the US government of not providing adequate guarantees for their safety.

stella assangeActivist’s wife and lawyer describe judicial proceedings against her husband “Mafia Movement” and stressed that they represent a clear attack Freedom of expression, “Reporting state crimes is not a crime,” the lawyer said at a press conference with foreign correspondents in London last week. The defense plans to base its arguments on alleged murder attempts

against Assange, instigated by the CIA and its director between 2017 and 2018, mike pompeoTo demonstrate that the worker’s life is in grave danger if extradited.

extradition agreement

In addition to the risks to his physical and mental health, the defense believes that Assange’s delivery to the United States would represent a Violation of Article 4 of the extradition treaty signed with the United Kingdom, which prohibits returns “Political crime”, If the judge finds these arguments valid, the WikiLeaks founders will be able to continue appealing before the British courts, while an opposite decision would exhaust all legal options in the United Kingdom and force them to file an appeal before them. European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which can temporarily prevent his extradition by application of Rule 39.

Australian citizen Assange took refuge Embassy of Ecuador In London in 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden, a country that wanted him for a case Sexual Exploitation Which was eventually stored. Seven years later, in 2019, the South American country security removed

and was arrested by the British police, who transferred him shortly afterwards Belmarsh High Security Prisonwhere he is currently awaiting a decision on his extradition to the United States for alleged violations espionage law Of that country. If this is confirmed, it will be the first time that a journalist has been sued for breaking this rule.

international response

Major human rights organizations including international amnesty And Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned this as an attack on press freedom and called on the United States to drop charges against them. “It’s still in the hands of the US government End this judicial tragedy To drop the case against Assange, which has already lasted 13 years, and end this endless persecution. “No one should have to put up with this kind of treatment for publishing information that is of public interest,” the RSF campaign director said on Monday. Rebecca VincentThrough a statement.

Nearly a dozen countries, eight of them European, have also opposed Assange’s extradition. from them AustraliaWhose parliament last week approved the proposal to reclaim closure of case and his return to his native country in an effort to put pressure on the American government. Both Australian Prime Ministers, Anthony Albanese

Like Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, he conveyed his requests to his counterparts on a visit to Washington last year, but there is nothing to indicate that his requests will be met. Everything is in the hands of British judges, who may give their verdict this week.