Key highlights:
- On Tuesday, March 26, the High Court in London decreed that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, aged 52 must be granted the opportunity to challenge the British government’s extradition order from June 2022.
- In July 2010, WikiLeaks released US military documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, revealing American misconduct.
- One of the notable documents published by WikiLeaks was a video capturing a 2007 Apache helicopter assault by American forces in Baghdad, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals, including 2 Reuters journalists.
London High Court delivered a decree, on 26th March 2024, favoring Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, aged 52, that he must be granted the opportunity to challenge the British government’s extradition order from June 2022. This allowance is contingent upon the United States providing assurances within 3 weeks that Assange would receive a fair trial and be spared from the death penalty.
During the recent two-day hearing, Assange asserted his desire to appeal the UK’s approval of his extradition, contending that the case against him was politically motivated and that a fair trial would not be ensured. Should the US fail to furnish these assurances, Assange will be permitted to contest his extradition at a hearing scheduled for May 20.
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This ruling potentially extends an extraordinary opportunity to Assange, whose journey has captivated global attention, marked by his exposure of what he characterized as “compelling evidence of war crimes” committed by US-led coalition and Iraqi government forces.
In contrast, the court dismissed Assange’s plea for an appeal predicated on the argument that the case against him is politically driven. This decision indicates that the protracted legal battle, spanning over a decade, will persist. Assange, who was absent during the ruling, has been detained in London’s Belmarsh Prison since his 2019 arrest, following 7 years of self-imposed exile within a foreign embassy and subsequent imprisonment for 5 years.
When Did It All Start?
In July 2010, WikiLeaks released US military documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, revealing American misconduct. They also published confidential US diplomatic cables, exposing surveillance on UN leaders and pressure from Saudi Arabia for a US-led attack on Iran.
A Swedish prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Assange in November 2010 for sexual assault. Assange denied the accusations but was arrested in London and later released on bail.
Assange’s extradition to Sweden was approved in February 2011, but he appealed, alleging it was a pretext for US charges. In June 2012, he sought asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London due to US extradition fears.
The sexual assault investigation was dropped in May 2017. Ecuador granted Assange citizenship in December, but Britain didn’t recognize his diplomatic immunity. In January 2018, Ecuador declared his embassy stay “unsustainable”.
Tensions rose in April 2019 as Ecuador accused Assange of violating asylum terms and revoked his citizenship. British authorities arrested him at the US’s request the next day. In May, Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching bail conditions. Extradition proceedings to the US began, and Swedish prosecutors reopened the sexual assault case.
July 2010:
- WikiLeaks releases US military documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, revealing American misconduct.
February 2011:
- Assange’s extradition to Sweden is approved, but he appeals, alleging it as a pretext for US charges.
June 2012:
- Assange seeks asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London due to US extradition fears.
January 2018:
- Ecuador declares Assange’s embassy stay “unsustainable.”
April 2019:
- Ecuador accuses Assange of violating asylum terms and revokes his citizenship.
- British authorities arrest Assange at the US’s request.
May 2019:
- Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching bail conditions.
- Extradition proceedings to the US begin.
What were the Charges?
Julian Assange, faced an indictment in the United States comprising 18 charges related to Wikileaks’ dissemination of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010. The charges include 17 counts of espionage and 1 count of computer misuse. In the event of conviction, his legal team warned he could face a maximum prison sentence of 175 years, although American authorities suggest the actual sentence is likely to be considerably lower.
Assange and his supporters contend that he operated as a journalist aiming to expose misconduct within the US military and thus should be shielded by the press freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
One of the notable documents published by WikiLeaks was a video capturing a 2007 Apache helicopter assault by American forces in Baghdad, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals, including 2 Reuters journalists.
During court proceedings in February 2020, Assange’s legal team alleged that then US president Donald Trump had offered him a pardon in exchange for denying any involvement with Russia’s dissemination of damaging emails related to Hillary Clinton before the 2016 presidential election. However, this assertion was refuted by The White House.
In November 2020, Swedish prosecutors closed the rape investigation, citing insufficient evidence, despite acknowledging the credibility of the claims made by Assange’s alleged victim.
Julian Assange’s Indictment
Charges:
- 17 counts of espionage
- 1 count of computer misuse
Total Charges: 18
Maximum Potential Sentence:
- 175 years
Will the European Court of Human Rights Be His Last Hope?
If Assange’s plea for a full appeal is denied by the London court, there’s a possibility of his extradition to the US pending approval from British authorities. His legal team intends to challenge any adverse ruling at the European Court of Human Rights. However, they are concerned that he might be transferred before the court in Strasbourg, France, can intervene to prevent his removal.
Should he succeed in this week’s hearing, it would initiate an appeal process likely to prolong the case further. Wikileaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson criticized the prolonged nature of the proceedings, describing it as “punishment through process,” suggesting it’s a deliberate tactic to wear Assange down.
Despite the UK Supreme Court rejecting Assange’s previous petition, citing the absence of an “arguable point of law,” his wife stated that his new appeal will raise multiple points eligible for appeal. Assange’s legal team intends to argue that he wouldn’t receive a fair trial in the US, that extradition for political offences is prohibited under a US-UK treaty, and that the espionage charge doesn’t apply to publishers.
With the possibility of a fair trial and assurance against the death penalty hanging in the balance, Assange’s fight for freedom has become a symbol of resistance against perceived political persecution. The eyes of the world remain fixed on Assange’s plight, raising fundamental questions about press freedom, government transparency, and the rights of individuals in the digital age.
