UK govt approves extradition of WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange; he plans to appeal
World | June 17, 2022 16:34 ISTUK government approves extradition of WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange to US on spying charges
UK government approves extradition of WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange to US on spying charges
The decision now rests with Interior Minister Priti Patel. Julian Assange's lawyers may still appeal to the High Court if she approves the extradition.
A British judge on Monday rejected the United States’ request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying he was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions.
Sweden on Tuesday dropped its investigation into an alleged rape by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently in prison in Britain, because too much time has elapsed since the accusation was made over nine years ago.
Assange received a 50-week sentence in Belmarsh Prison, southeast London, after being found guilty of breaching the Bail Act in April.
UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid Thursday confirmed that he has signed an order following a request from the US government to extradite Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange to face charges of computer hacking before the American courts.
He was previously charged last month on one count of conspiring with ex-intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to gain access to the Pentagon network.
Swedish prosecutors on Monday reopened their investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who remains in prison in London for breach of bail conditions on the charge.
Assange, who took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on rape accusations, was arrested on 11 April after Quito terminated his asylum.
Assange, infamous across the globe for publishing state secrets that embarrassed governments had been under the protection of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for almost seven years.
Assange’s name appears twice in an August court filing from a federal prosecutor in Virginia, who was attempting to keep sealed a separate case involving a man accused of coercing a minor for sex.
Assange is a key figure in the ongoing US criminal investigation into Russia's attempts to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Lawyers for Assange had asked for the warrant to be withdrawn since Sweden no longer wants him extradited, but the judge rejected their request last week.
Ecuador gave Assange political asylum after he sought refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden for investigation of sex-related claims.
Assange, an Australian, became an Ecuadoran citizen on December 12.
Assange, who appeared on the balcony of his Ecuadorean embassy hideout in London this evening, said he will not "forgive" those who "slandered" him.
In a statement issued here, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said that Marianne Ny ‘has discontinue the investigation’ against the Australian computer programmer.
Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, will be questioned in the London-based Ecuadorian embassy on November 14 over an allegation of rape dating back to 2010.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has claimed that the US establishment and media are working together to stop US Republican nominee Donald Trump from becoming the next American president.
Ecuador's government acknowledged on Tuesday that it cut off WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's internet access at its embassy in London after the whistleblowing site published a trove of damaging emails from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
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