The government has approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US, where he faces espionage charges.
The Interior Ministry has confirmed that Priti Patel, the interior secretary, has signed an extradition order for the founder of WikiLeaks.
Assange wanted by the United States for allegedly conspiring to obtain and disclose national defense information after WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of leaked documents related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Assange has 14 days to appeal the decision and his legal team has said they will appeal.
“Today is not the end of the battle. It is just the beginning of a new legal battle. We will appeal through the legal system,” WikiLeaks said in a statement on Twitter.
“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 embarrassed that the Home Secretary has approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States, the country that plotted to assassinate him.”
Assange has been held in Belmarsh high-security prison since 2019 when he was dragged out Ecuadorian Embassy in Londonwhere he took refuge.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Home Office said: “On June 17, after a review by both M.Court of Agistrates and High CourtThe extradition of Mr. Julian Assange to the US has been ordered.
“In this case, the courts of the United Kingdom did not find that the extradition of Mr. Assange was oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process. Nor did they find that extradition would be incompatible with human rights. including his right to a fair trial and freedom of expression, and during his stay in the United States, he will be treated appropriately, including with regard to his health.”
Amnesty International said the decision to extradite Assange “sends a chilling message to journalists”.
Stella Moris outside after marrying Julian Assange at Belmarsh . prison
‘Julian did nothing wrong’
In March 2023, Assange married his partner, Stella Morisafter they were allowed to get married last year.
She is joined by the couple’s sons Gabriel, four, and Max, two, and Assange’s father and brother, Richard and Gabriel Shipton.
Reacting to today’s news, Ms Moris, 38, described it as 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 to assassinate him,” she said. .
“Julian did nothing wrong. He did not commit a crime and is not a criminal. He is a journalist and a publisher, and he is being punished for doing his job.
“Priti Patel has every right to do the right thing. Instead, she will forever be remembered as an accomplice of the United States on the agenda of turning investigative journalism into a criminal enterprise.
“Foreign law now defines the limits of press freedom in this country, and winning the industry’s most prestigious award has been deemed an extraditable and deserving offence. life imprisonment.
“Julian’s road to freedom is long and winding. Today is not the end of the fight. It is just the beginning of a new legal battle. We will appeal through the legal system. ; the next appeal will be before the Supreme Court.”
She added that Assange’s case “has always been a political one” and that her husband “has released evidence that the country is trying to extradite him to commit war crimes and cover them up”.
“We will fight louder and shout louder in the streets, we will organize and we will make Julian’s story known to all.
“Their revenge is to try to put him in the darkest corners of their prison system for the rest of his life to prevent others from holding power.
“We will not let that happen. Julian’s freedom goes hand in hand with all of our freedoms. We will fight to return Julian to his family and regain freedom of speech for all of us. I.”
