LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks founder julian assange It will not be known until next month at the earliest whether he will be able to challenge his extradition to the United States on spying charges or whether his long legal battle in Britain has stalled.
Two High Court judges will consider the verdict on Wednesday following a two-day hearing in which Mr Assange's lawyers argued that extraditing him to the US risked a “blatant denial of justice”. He said he would take time to
US lawyer where Assange was prosecuted suspicion of espionage, He said he exceeded the bounds of journalism by soliciting, stealing and indiscriminately publishing confidential U.S. government documents, putting innocent lives at risk.
Assange's lawyers asked the High Court to grant Assange a new appeal. Last roll of legal dice In this story, he has been locked up in a maximum security prison in England for the past five years.
The judges overseeing the case have reserved their decision, and a verdict on Assange's future is not expected to be handed down until March at the earliest.
If Justices Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson rule against him, Assange could apply to the European Court of Human Rights for an extradition injunction, but his supporters say they will have to wait until Assange is sent to the United States. I'm worried about being put on a plane. Because the UK government has already signed the agreement. Extradition order.
The 52-year-old Australian has been charged with 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer abuse for publishing a trove of classified US documents on his website nearly 15 years ago. U.S. prosecutors allege Assange encouraged and assisted U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to steal diplomatic cables and military files released by WikiLeaks and put her life at risk. .
Attorney Claire Dobbin, representing the U.S. government, said Wednesday that Assange “created a serious and imminent risk” by damaging U.S. security and intelligence agencies and releasing hundreds of thousands of documents. Ta. The risks could harm innocent people and lead to arbitrary detention. , many of whom lived in war zones or under repressive regimes.
Mr Dobbin added that by encouraging Mr Manning and others to hack into and steal government computers, Mr Assange was “far beyond” the role of a journalist gathering information.
Assange “wasn't someone who just set up an online box where people could provide sensitive information,” she said. “The charge is that he attempted to encourage theft and hacking to benefit WikiLeaks.”
Mr Assange's supporters claim he is a confidential journalist who exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have long argued that prosecutors are politically motivated and that they cannot receive a fair trial in the United States.
Assange's lawyers argued during the first day of hearings on Tuesday that U.S. authorities are seeking to punish him for “revealing crimes on the part of the U.S. government on an unprecedented scale” by WikiLeaks, including torture and murder. .
Lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said there was a “real risk that he could suffer a gross denial of justice” if he were sent to the United States.
Dobbin said the prosecution is based on law and evidence and has remained consistent despite changes in U.S. administrations during the legal battle.
She added that the First Amendment does not grant immunity to journalists who break the law. Media outlets that went through an editing process before publishing the documents have not been prosecuted, she said.
Assange's lawyers say he could face up to 175 years in prison if convicted, but US authorities say the sentence is likely to be shorter.
According to WikiLeaks, Mr Assange was absent from court on both days due to illness. Stella AssangeHis wife said she wanted to participate but was “not feeling well.”
Mr. Assange's family and supporters say his physical and mental health deteriorated during this period. More than 10 years of legal battles, This included seven years of self-imposed exile at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
Stella Assange said: “Julian is a political prisoner and must be released.” Married in prison to WikiLeaks founder in 2022.
“They are trying to put Julian in the hands of the state and the people who planned his assassination,” she added, adding that Assange's lawyers say Julian was the target of a CIA plot to kidnap or kill him during his stay there. He cited their unproven claims. Ecuadorian embassy.
Supporters protested for a second day outside the High Court building, holding signs that read “Free Julian Assange” and chanting, “There's only one decision: no extradition.”
Mr. Assange's legal troubles began in 2010, when he was arrested in London at the request of Sweden, which wanted him questioned over allegations of rape and sexual assault by two women. In 2012, Assange jumped bail and took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy.
Assange's relationship with his hosts Eventually it felt bad and he was kicked out. He was arrested from the embassy in April 2019. British police quickly arrested and jailed him for breaching bail in 2012.Sweden Sex crime investigation closed November 2019, so much time has passed.
British District Court Judge rejected the US extradition request In 2021, Assange is likely to commit suicide if he is detained in harsh prison conditions in the United States.high court overturned that decision After getting assurances about his treatment from the US. The British government signed the extradition order in June 2022.
on the other hand, Australia's parliament called out Mr Assange last week be allowed to return to their homeland.
Australian MP Andrew Wilkie, who attended the hearing, said he hoped this would send a strong message to the British and American governments to end the legal battle. “This has been going on long enough,” he said.
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Associated Press video journalists Kwiyong Ha and Joe Carney contributed to this report.