British justice on Tuesday asked the United States for new guarantees regarding the treatment that would be reserved for Julian Assange, without which it would grant the founder of WikiLeaks a last appeal in the United Kingdom against his extradition.
The judges gave three weeks to the American authorities, who want to try the Australian for a massive leak of confidential documents, to ensure that Julian Assange could benefit from the First Amendment of the American Constitution – which protects freedom of expression – and that he would not receive the death penalty, according to a summary of the judgment.
“If these assurances are not provided” within this deadline, Julian Assange will be able to appeal the decision to extradite him, granted in June 2022 by the British government, judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson decided. If they are, a new hearing will be held on May 20 before the judges determine whether these guarantees are satisfactory, to decide whether or not Julian Assange can benefit from a last resort in the United Kingdom, in a case which has become a symbol threats against press freedom.
Up to 175 years in prison
Julian Assange’s supporters had in any case warned in the event of defeat that they would take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights in the hope of having the extradition suspended. Julian Assange risks up to 175 years in prison for having published since 2010 more than 700,000 confidential documents on American military and diplomatic activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among them is a video showing civilians, including two journalists from theReuters agencykilled by fire from an American combat helicopter in Iraq in July 2007.
Everything you need to know about the Julian Assange affair
Julian Assange was arrested by British police in 2019 after seven years spent in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, in order to avoid extradition to Sweden in a rape investigation, dismissed the same year.