THE embattled Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, will not be immediately extradited to the US after a British court granted his appeal.
The ruling from the British court means that Assange will have the chance to pursue a hearing— unless America gives satisfactory assurances on certain issues that would address the Wikileaks founder’s grounds of appeal.
The British court said it would give America three weeks to provide assurances that Assange is allowed to rely on the U.S. Constitution’s first amendment and that he is not prejudiced at trial due to his nationality.
And that Assange, an Australian citizen, is afforded the same first amendment protections as an American citizen.
And that he would not be subjected to a capital punishment or death penalty.
Assange is wanted in Washington on 18 charges, including spying.
He has been battling his extradition in the U.S. For more than 10 years now— and has spent 7 years in self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in the UK and another 5 years at Belmarsh Prison.
Julian Assange is facing up to one hundred seventy-five years in prison after publishing thousands of leaked confidential military files and documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—including the leaked footage of a U.S. helicopter attack in 2007 wherein it killed two Reuters staff and several others in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, another hearing will be held on May 20 to determine whether America’s assurances are satisfactory.
Assange’s wife, Stella, hailed the decision as ‘astounding’ for recognizing that his husband exposed a flagrant denial of his freedom and expression of rights.
