Julian Assange’s Extradition To The U.S. Approved By U.K. Government

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U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday approved the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to the U.S.—where he faces multiple criminal charges and possible life imprisonment—in a decision that is likely to draw opposition from human rights and press freedom activists around the world.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange supporters hold placards as they gather outside Westminster … [+] Magistrates court In London.

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Key Facts

Assange—who has previously challenged attempts to extradite him—will have 14 days to appeal Patel’s decision to sign the extradition order, the British government’s Home Office said in a statement.

U.K. courts did not find any evidence that the extradition of Assange was unjust or violated any human rights, the statement added.

Under British law, Assange will only be handed over to U.S. officials after any legal challenges to the order.

In March, the U.K. Supreme Court dismissed an attempt by Assange to appeal his extradition, sending the case over to Patel’s desk.

Chief Critic

In a statement released on Twitter, Wikileaks said: “This is a dark day for Press freedom and for British democracy. Anyone in this country who cares about freedom of expression should be deeply ashamed that the Home Secretary has approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States, the country that plotted his assassination. Julian did nothing wrong… he is being punished for doing his job.”

Key Background

The 50-year-old Wikileaks founder faces multiple criminal charges in the U.S. linked to his website’s release of confidential U.S. military documents and diplomatic cables. U.S. authorities also allege that Assange breached espionage laws by helping former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning crack a U.S. Department of Defense computer. If found guilty, Assange could face up to 175 years in prison. Assange has denied allegations that he worked with Manning and has claimed the allegations against him are politically motivated due to Wikileaks’ disclosure of war crimes and human rights abuses by the U.S. government.

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