Julian Assange Wins Right to Appeal His U.S. Extradition
A London court on Monday ruled that Julian Assange can appeal against his extradition to the United States, a decision which will be welcomed as a significant victory by his supporters but one which is also likely to extend his lengthy legal battle in Britain.
The ruling comes after two High Court judges in March deferred a decision about whether the WikiLeaks founder could launch a new appeal against an order from the U.K. government for him to be sent to the U.S. to face trial on espionage charges. The justices said at the time that Assange would be granted leave to appeal unless the American government could provide “satisfactory” assurances about the rights that Assange would have during a prospective trial.
The U.S. Embassy in London in April made assurances that the Australian journalist would not be “prejudiced by reason of his nationality” and said that he would be able to seek First Amendment rights. American officials also said he would not face the death penalty in his case.