UK Top Court Rejects Assange's Request to Appeal Extradition Decision

 

The WikiLeaks founder faces up to 175 in prison from charges under the Espionage Act.

ANDREA GERMANOS

March 14, 2022

This is a developing story and may be updated.

The U.K. Supreme Court on Monday denied WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's request to appeal an earlier decision permitting his extradition to the United States, where he faces espionage charges and up to 175 years in prison for publishing classifed documents that exposed war crimes.

"The application does not raise an arguable point of law," the court declared.

Assange's supporters say that the case now goes before U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel to authorize the extradition.

The case has sparked global concern from press freedom and human rights groups who warn that prosecution of Assange would have far-reaching impacts on journalists and publishers who dare to challenge powerful governments by exposing their most closely-guarded secrets.

In a January statement, Committee to Protect Journalists deputy executive director Robert Mahoney warned that "the prosecution of the WikiLeaks founder in the United States would set a deeply harmful legal precedent that would allow the prosecution of reporters for news gathering activities and must be stopped."

Mahoney, like other defenders of free speech and journalism, additionally called on the U.S. Justice Department to stop the extradition proceedings and drop its charges against Assange.

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