UK Court Paves Way for Julian Assange’s Extradition to the US

Julian Assange can be extradited from the UK to the US to face trial for leaking classified military and diplomatic documents, a UK court has ruled today.

The US won an appeal against the ruling earlier this year that the Wikileaks founder could not be extradited to the US to face charges due to concerns over his mental health. Having been offered assurances about the treatment Assange would receive when he enters the US, the UK High Court Judges decided there is no other reason in law to prevent the extradition.

These assurances include ensuring Mr Assange is not being subject to solitary confinement pre or post-trial and that he will not be detained at a maximum-security prison. In addition, lawyers for the US claimed he would be allowed to transfer to his native Australia to serve any prison sentence he is given.

Giving the judgment, Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett said: "That risk is in our judgment excluded by the assurances which are offered.

"It follows that we are satisfied that, if the assurances had been before the judge, she would have answered the relevant question differently."

The ruling was met with dismay by free speech campaigners. In a statement, the Freedom of the Press Foundation wrote: “Today’s ruling is an alarming setback for press freedom in the United States and around the world, and represents a notable escalation in the use of the Espionage Act in the ‘War on Whistleblowers’ that has expanded through the past several presidential ..

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