On Monday, the British High Court announced that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been granted the right to appeal his extradition to the United States, where he is facing charges of espionage.
Assange, an Australian national, has been granted the opportunity to challenge whether he would receive a fair trial in the United States, despite not being a U.S. citizen. This ruling, issued in London, highlights the importance of ensuring justice and fairness for individuals regardless of their nationality.
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As a result of the decision, Assange can stay in Britain while he prepares his appeal. The appeal seeks several assurances from U.S. prosecutors, who accuse him of endangering lives through the publication of diplomatic cables and classified military files on WikiLeaks in 2010. These files alleged that U.S. soldiers were involved in civilian deaths in Afghanistan.
Assange is confronted with 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse for his involvement in sharing the documents.
Assange’s lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, emphasized during Monday’s hearing that his client is not demanding assurance of protection under the First Amendment. Rather, he wishes to have the opportunity to raise these rights during his trial. Fitzgerald also expressed his concern about the silence from U.S. prosecutors regarding the assurances Assange would receive, describing it as “deafening.”
According to James Lewis, the representative from the United States during the hearing, he stated that Assange’s nationality would not affect his right to a fair trial. However, he emphasized that Assange’s actions were not protected under the First Amendment.
