A foreign truth-teller faces the threat of a life sentence in the United States for publishing classified documents.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition from Britain to the United States where he faces criminal charges, has filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the court confirmed on Friday.
Assange, 51, is facing 18 charges, including one under the Espionage Act, related to WikiLeaks ' publication of vast troves of confidential U.S. military and diplomatic documents that Washington believes put lives at risk.
Britain gave the go-ahead for his extradition, but he appealed to the High Court in London, whose first hearing is expected early next year. His legal team has also brought a case against the UK to the European Court of Human Rights, which could potentially order the extradition to be blocked.
“We confirm that the application has been received, " the court said in a statement.
Assange's wife, Stella Assange, said she hoped the ECTHR would not need to hear the case and that it could be resolved in the UK. If the case is referred to the European Court of Human Rights, she said it “will be a sad day and a great disappointment”"
Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton, told Reuters earlier this week that he believes the US authorities will want to avoid the case going to the European Court of Human Rights, as European media and the public are more sympathetic to his case than those in Britain or the United States.
” My guess is that the US wants to avoid this... by trying to extradite a publisher from Europe for publishing revelations about the US war, when the US is asking Europe to do everything possible for the war in Ukraine, " Shipton said.
The long struggle for freedom
This is not Assange's first attempt to challenge extradition to the United States. In January 2021, a British judge ruled that Assange should not be extradited, saying his mental health meant he would be at risk of suicide if convicted and held in a maximum security prison.
But this decision was overturned after an appeal by the US authorities, who gave a number of guarantees, including a promise that he could be transferred to Australia to serve any term.
The extradition was then approved in June by the former British Home Secretary (Home Secretary) after the government said the courts had concluded that it would not be unfair or an abuse of the process, and that it would be treated accordingly.
WikiLeaks first came to attention in 2010 when it published hundreds of thousands of classified classified files and diplomatic cables, which was the biggest security breach of its kind in the history of the US military.
US prosecutors and Western security experts consider Assange an irresponsible enemy of the state, whose actions put the lives of agents whose names were indicated in the leaked materials in danger.
Last year, Assange also lost his last attempt to appeal against extradition to Sweden on sexual crimes charges. The Supreme Court denied him permission to appeal, saying his application did not raise “a valid legal issue.” Assange denies all the charges and claims they are part of a political campaign against him.
Assange has been in custody since April 2019, when he was escorted out of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he spent almost seven years. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for violating his bail conditions. His supporters demand his release and claim that he is a victim of political persecution for his journalistic activities.
This year, Assange also lost his last attempt to appeal extradition to the High Court in London. The judge dismissed all eight grounds of his appeal against the U.S. extradition order. However, his wife said he would file an "updated application for appeal to the High Court" next week.
Thus, it can be said that Assange is in a very difficult position and that his chances of avoiding extradition are slim. But he does not give up and continues to use all possible legal tools to protect his rights.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition from Britain to the United States where he faces criminal charges, has filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the court confirmed on Friday.
Assange, 51, is facing 18 charges, including one under the Espionage Act, related to WikiLeaks ' publication of vast troves of confidential U.S. military and diplomatic documents that Washington believes put lives at risk.
Britain gave the go-ahead for his extradition, but he appealed to the High Court in London, whose first hearing is expected early next year. His legal team has also brought a case against the UK to the European Court of Human Rights, which could potentially order the extradition to be blocked.
“We confirm that the application has been received, " the court said in a statement.
Assange's wife, Stella Assange, said she hoped the ECTHR would not need to hear the case and that it could be resolved in the UK. If the case is referred to the European Court of Human Rights, she said it “will be a sad day and a great disappointment”"
Assange's brother, Gabriel Shipton, told Reuters earlier this week that he believes the US authorities will want to avoid the case going to the European Court of Human Rights, as European media and the public are more sympathetic to his case than those in Britain or the United States.
” My guess is that the US wants to avoid this... by trying to extradite a publisher from Europe for publishing revelations about the US war, when the US is asking Europe to do everything possible for the war in Ukraine, " Shipton said.
The long struggle for freedom
This is not Assange's first attempt to challenge extradition to the United States. In January 2021, a British judge ruled that Assange should not be extradited, saying his mental health meant he would be at risk of suicide if convicted and held in a maximum security prison.
But this decision was overturned after an appeal by the US authorities, who gave a number of guarantees, including a promise that he could be transferred to Australia to serve any term.
The extradition was then approved in June by the former British Home Secretary (Home Secretary) after the government said the courts had concluded that it would not be unfair or an abuse of the process, and that it would be treated accordingly.
WikiLeaks first came to attention in 2010 when it published hundreds of thousands of classified classified files and diplomatic cables, which was the biggest security breach of its kind in the history of the US military.
US prosecutors and Western security experts consider Assange an irresponsible enemy of the state, whose actions put the lives of agents whose names were indicated in the leaked materials in danger.
Last year, Assange also lost his last attempt to appeal against extradition to Sweden on sexual crimes charges. The Supreme Court denied him permission to appeal, saying his application did not raise “a valid legal issue.” Assange denies all the charges and claims they are part of a political campaign against him.
Assange has been in custody since April 2019, when he was escorted out of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he spent almost seven years. He was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for violating his bail conditions. His supporters demand his release and claim that he is a victim of political persecution for his journalistic activities.
Does Assange have a chance to avoid extradition?
Assange has already lost several attempts to challenge extradition in the UK. In January 2021, a British judge ruled that Assange should not be extradited, saying his mental health meant he would be at risk of suicide if convicted and held in a maximum security prison. But this decision was overturned after an appeal by the US authorities, who gave a number of guarantees, including a promise that he could be transferred to Australia to serve any term. The extradition was then approved by the former British Home Secretary in June last year.This year, Assange also lost his last attempt to appeal extradition to the High Court in London. The judge dismissed all eight grounds of his appeal against the U.S. extradition order. However, his wife said he would file an "updated application for appeal to the High Court" next week.
Thus, it can be said that Assange is in a very difficult position and that his chances of avoiding extradition are slim. But he does not give up and continues to use all possible legal tools to protect his rights.
