In the case of the extradition of the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange in the United States, a new development has emerged. The high court of England and Wales has temporarily halted the process of extraditing him to the American authorities, as reported by Reuters. The judges have ruled that the United States must provide guarantees that Assange will not face the death penalty. If these guarantees are not provided by April 16, Assange will be allowed to file a full appeal against his extradition.
The US prosecutors have been seeking the extradition of the 52-year-old Australian for 18 years of prosecution under the Espionage Act. Following Britain’s approval of his extradition last year, Assange’s legal team has made a final attempt to challenge this decision in English courts.
The court’s decision states that “Assange will not be extradited immediately.” Assange can appeal against the UK decision to extradite him if within three weeks, Washington does not provide “satisfactory guarantees” that he will have the right to refer to the First Amendment to the US Constitution (protecting freedom of speech), receive the same defense as US citizens, and avoid the death penalty.
Quotes from former President Donald Trump were presented as evidence supporting the latter argument. In 2010, Trump stated, “I think something like the death penalty should follow” regarding WikiLeaks publications.
If the US government fails to provide the required guarantees, Assange will have the right to challenge the UK Home Secretary’s decision regarding his extradition, and the court will reevaluate his defense arguments, emphasizing the risk to his life and health in the United States.
However, the judges dismissed two other arguments made by Assange’s defense team – the claim of political motivations behind the case and the assertion that Assange could not receive a fair trial in the US. Additionally, the notion that US intelligence services planned to kidnap or assassinate him was also rejected.
The next hearing is scheduled for May 20. If the final decision goes against Assange, his last option will be to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition to the US. Assange has spent more than 13 years in British prisons and the Ecuadorian Embassy, and his family reports a rapid decline in both his physical and mental health.
Prior to these recent developments, the US Department of Justice had considered offering Assange a deal that would allow him to be released in exchange for pleading guilty to certain charges.