WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange has won a legal victory on Monday in his appeal against extradition to the United States (U.S.). On Monday, the United Kingdom (UK) court ruled that the U.S. assurances regarding Assange’s case were not satisfactory and that he has the right to appeal his extradition.
Assange, who was set to be extradited to the U.S. on charges of espionage, will now have his case heard in a new appeal hearing.
The co-founder of WikiLeaks faces 17 charges of espionage, carrying a potential sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
An Australian citizen, Assange has been in UK custody, where authorities approved his extradition to the U.S. last year. He is wanted for his alleged role in espionage and the dissemination of classified U.S. military information.
He has been in detention for about four years in Belmarsh Prison after spending seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he initially sought diplomatic asylum from Swedish authorities.
In a key 2021 ruling, the High Court of the UK decided that Assange should be extradited, dismissing concerns about his mental health and the risks he might face in a U.S. correctional facility.
The High Court upheld this decision in 2022, and then-Home Secretary Priti Patel confirmed the extradition order, intensifying the legal battle.
In his latest bid for delay, Assange seeks authorization to scrutinize Patel’s determination and challenge the initial 2021 court ruling.
The UK High Court’s March ruling has granted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange the right to appeal his extradition to the U.S.
