Julian Assange’s lawyers on Tuesday launched their final UK legal challenge, sent to the WikiLeaks to face espionage charges in the United States, arguing that his actions had exposed serious criminal functions by US authorities and “clear and important public interest.”
Assange himself was not in court. Judge Victoria Sharp said he was allowed to come from Belmash Jail, where he was held for five years, but he had chosen not to participate. Assange’s lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald said the 52 -year -old Australians were unwell.
Assange has been fighting extradition for over a decade, including seven years in self-security at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and the last five years in high security prison.
He has been charged with 17 allegations of espionage and an allegation of computer misuse on publication of classified American documents of his website. US prosecutors say Assange helped us steal the diplomatic cable and military files by Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, which WikiLeaks later published, putting life at risk.
For his supporters, Assange is a privacy-busting journalist who highlighted American military wrongdoings in Iraq and Afghanistan. He argues that prosecution is politically motivated and will not get proper tests in the US.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had spent six years in exile at the Embassy of Ecuador in London until he was forcibly committed and was arrested by the British police. These were incidents that led to this.
Dozens of supporters indicated “Free Julian Assange” and “only a decision-no extradition” in London staged a noise protest outside the Gothic High Court, where Assange’s lawyer judges are asking judges to hear dice in Britain, to give a new appeal to their final legal role.
If Judge ruled against Assange, he may ask the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition – although supporters are worried that it can be placed in an aircraft in the US before this happens, as the British government has already signed a extradition order.
His lawyer Fijarld said in the court, “He is being sued to get involved in general journalism practice to get classified information and publish, this information which is both correct and clear and important public interest.”
In written presentations, the lawyer said that “Julian Assange and WikiLeaks were responsible for the contact of criminality by the US government on an unprecedented scale.”
Fitzgerald also said that there is a risk disappointment “If sent to America, there will be a quarrel of justice”
While many arguments of Assange against extradition have already been rejected by British courts, their lawyers want judges to consider several new arguments.
They say that Assange is facing a political prosecution to highlight “broad criminals”, and sending it to Atlantic will cause a violation of the British-American extradition treaty.
“This is the misuse of the process to seek extradition for a political crime,” said Fitzgerald.
Assange’s lawyers also argue that “the US national security information was leaked in 2010, both were legal and general”, when WikiLeaks revealed a huge contingent of classified documents. They also say that the publication of WikiLeaks is “protected by universally recognized and entangled principles of free speech.”
Asanje’s wife Stella Assange – a lawyer she married in jail in 2022 – says her health has deteriorated over the years.
“His health is in mental and physically decline. His life is at risk every day, he stays in jail, and if he gets extradited, he will die, “he told reporters last week.
Assange’s legal troubles began in 2010, when he was arrested in London at Sweden’s request, who wanted to question him about the allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two women. In 2012, Assange jumped on bail and sought asylum inside the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he was beyond the reach of the UK and the Swedish authorities – but also effectively a prisoner in the small diplomatic mission.
The relationship between Asanje and his hosts eventually became sour, and was expelled from the embassy in April 2019. The British police immediately arrested him in 2012 for bail. He was held at Belmarsh Jail in London during his extradition fight. Sweden dropped the investigation into sex crimes in November 2019 as so long had passed.
Assange’s lawyers say that if he is found guilty, he can face a prison of up to 175 years, although US officials said that the punishment is likely to be much less than that.
A UK district court judge rejected the request for US extradition in 2021 on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself when he was held under the terms of the US jail. The High Courts overturned that decision after receiving assurances from the US about their treatment. The British government signed a extradition order in June 2022.
Meanwhile, the Australian Parliament last week allowed Assange to return to its motherland.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanis said, “Whether people stand, this cannot go on indefinitely and indefinitely.”
Judge, Sharp and Jeremy Johnson could give a decision at the end of the two -day hearing on Wednesday, but they were more likely to take several weeks to consider their decision.