london – Julian AssangeExtradition to the United States was approved by the British government on Friday, a potentially decisive step in that direction. WikiLeaks founder accused of spying,
The UK Home Office said in a Statement That Assange’s extradition order was signed “after the consideration of both the Magistrates’ Court and the High Court”.
The spokesman said Assange has 14 days to appeal against the decision. It follows a British court ruling in April that Assange could be deported to the US
“In this case, UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange,” he said. “Nor have they found that extradition would be inconsistent with their human rights, including their right to a fair trial and freedom of expression, and that they would be treated fairly in the US, including with respect to their health also includes.”
A decision on Assange’s extradition was expected this month from British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The founder of WikiLeaks is Wanted to face trial in US on 18 chargesAfter WikiLeaks released thousands of secret US files in 2010, including breaking espionage laws.
Assange, 50, has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the leak.
The WikiLeaks founder has spent the past three years in London’s Belmarsh Prison trying to figure out whether he will be extradited.
His family and legal team repeatedly warned of his deteriorating mental healthwhich they have said that if he is extradited to the US he will be at greater risk
In December, Washington won an appeal A British court on extradition to Assange, along with the court’s decision that a previous ruling against handing Assange over to the US, may be set aside in light of fresh assurances that he will not be held under overly restrictive terms if extradited.
The decision came after his legal team and family warned that his life could be in danger if he was extradited to the US because of his deteriorating mental health.
Assange’s lawyers told the court that even though the US had assured fair treatment to the WikiLeaks founder, there was a risk that he could take his own life if extradited. He also urged the court to ignore US assurances that Assange would not be subjected to harsh detention conditions known as special administrative measures.
in one Interview With NBC News in December, Assange’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, said that his family fears Assange will “not survive” extradition to the US.
“We live in fear that … Julian will not survive this,” Shipton said. “He … has been crushed and you can really see how much the last few years have had an impact on him.”
Assange and WikiLeaks came into international limelight after the release of footage of an airstrike in Baghdad in 2007 that resulted in the death of two Reuters journalists and others.
Released under the title “Collateral Assassination”, the video sparked widespread outrage among Americans about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
WikiLeaks gained more attention in 2010 after publishing a trove of classified defense documents on detainees in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as at Guantanamo Bay, in an act US officials said put lives at risk.
The Obama administration did not immediately accuse Assange. Instead, he was charged with violating the Espionage Act under former President Donald Trump.
Chelsea Manning, a former military member who shared intel with WikiLeaks, spent years behind bars after refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Assange. she was Released when the Obama Administration was still in office,