WikiLeaks founder Assange, who is imprisoned in Great Britain, will probably remain in the dark for some time about what will happen to him. The decision on extradition is unlikely to be made before March.
The legal dispute over the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from Great Britain to the USA will probably not be decided any time soon. The hearing at the final court, the London High Court, ended without a verdict. The responsible judges will not announce it until March at the earliest.
The question is whether the Australian citizen Assange is entitled to a full appeal process. For the 52-year-old, it would be the last chance to defend himself against his deportation in a British court.
Events date back almost 15 years
The US Department of Justice wants to try Assange on espionage charges. Together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, Assange stole and published secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan almost 15 years ago, thereby endangering the lives of US informants. In doing so, Assange had done significantly more than a journalist gathering information, the US government’s lawyer argued before the London court.
Crimes on an “unprecedented scale” uncovered
Assange’s lawyers, on the other hand, see the prosecution as a retaliatory action by Washington because WikiLeaks’ publications exposed US government crimes on an “unprecedented scale” – including torture and killings. The US side denies this and argues that the basis for prosecution is the law and evidence.
If convicted in the US, Assange could face up to 175 years in prison. However, the US side said that the sentence would probably be significantly shorter.
Assange not present at the hearing
Assange himself was not present at the hearing. Wikileaks explained his absence as unwell. His wife, Stella Assange, said her husband wanted to take part but was “not in good health”. Family and supporters pointed out that Assange had suffered mentally and physically from the legal problems of the past few years.