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Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is fighting his extradition to the United States in court. On Monday, he submitted a formal application.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is fighting his extradition to the United States in a court in Britain. He appeared for a hearing at the Old Bailey Criminal Court on Monday and formally opposed the transfer requested by the United States. Before the hearing, dozens of Assange supporters had gathered in front of the court, including his partner Stella Morris and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
175 years in prison
In the United States, the 49-year-old Australian has been charged with 18 counts of espionage and computer abuse because Wikileaks has published secret US military documents. Assange faces a maximum prison sentence of 175 years.
The US authorities accuse him, among other things, of colluding with the secret service agent Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and publish hundreds of thousands of secret documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rally for Julian Assange
Assange’s lawyers have criticized the charges as politically motivated and as an abuse of power that will restrict press freedom and endanger journalists around the world. Journalists’ associations and human rights groups have urged the UK to reject the extradition request.
The hearings will last until the beginning of October. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser is expected to take weeks or even months to reach a verdict. After that, the losing side is likely to appeal.
