London: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing charges of spying, seems to be in trouble. A UK court has overturned the lower court’s decision, clearing the way for Julian Assange to be extradited to the US. Julian Assange is fighting a legal battle in Britain against extraditing to America. He is currently lodged in the UK High-Security Jail.
A UK appellate court has overturned the lower court’s decision, opening the way for Julian Assange to be extradited to the US. The trial court had rejected the US request for extradition, citing the mental health of the WikiLeaks founder. This decision of the appellate court is also likely to be appealed.
Earlier this year a lower court judge rejected a US request to extradite Assange, who is facing espionage charges in connection with the publication of secret military documents by WikiLeaks a decade ago. The trial court had said that Assange was not in good mental health and therefore it would not be appropriate to extradite him.
According to reports, US prosecutors indicted Assange on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer abuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of secret US military documents a decade ago. He could be imprisoned for 175 years on these charges.
Actually, Assange’s troubles started when he was arrested in London in 2010 at the request of Sweden. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 to avoid being deported to Sweden. In this way, he was out of reach of the British and Swedish authorities. Sweden wants to question and answer him about the serious allegations made by two women. At the same time, in April 2019, when he came out of the embassy, the British Police arrested him on the charge of escaping after taking bail. He has been in jail since then.
