Julian Assange Granted Right to Fight Extradition to US (UPDATED)
The UK High Court ruled that Assange can’t immediately be extradited to the US on espionage charges, in a partial victory for the WikiLeaks founder. If the US provides the requested assurances by April 16, a second hearing could be held on May 20 for the court to consider whether to grant an appeal.
- "The court ruled that Assange could pursue his appeal at a full hearing, unless the US provided “satisfactory assurances” on the questions of whether he was able to rely on the First Amendment of the US Constitution and whether he could be subject to the death penalty," reports Al Jazeera.
"The US has been given three weeks to provide additional guarantees, including that Assange will not face the death penalty. If the US provides the requested assurances by April 16, a second hearing could be held on May 20 for the court to consider whether to grant an appeal."
- The requested assurances include the permission to “rely on the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (which protects free speech), that he is not prejudiced at trial (including sentence) by reason of his nationality, that he is afforded the same First Amendment protections as a United States citizen and that the death penalty is not imposed”.
- U.S. prosecutors seek to put Assange on trial for the release of the confidential military files and diplomatic cables.
CNBC Article / Archive
Al Jazeera Coverage / Archive
Full Ruling
