UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM WIFE STELLA ASSANGE AND WIKILEAKS’ KRISTINN HRAFNSSON; OTHER REVISIONS THROUGHOUT
By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is facing what could be his last chance to contest his extradition from Britain to the US as a two-day hearing starts Tuesday amid protests outside the court building.
Assange, who has been detained in a UK prison since 2019, faces extradition over allegations of leaking classified military documents in 2010-2011.
The UK High Court, in a pivotal 2021 ruling, decreed that Assange should be extradited, dismissing assertions over his fragile mental state and the risks he might face in a US correctional facility.
Following suit, the Supreme Court in 2022 upheld the decision, while then-Home Secretary Priti Patel affirmed the extradition order, intensifying the legal battle.
In his latest bid for a reprieve, Assange is seeking authorization to scrutinize Patel's determination and challenge the initial 2021 court verdict.
Should this recourse falter, Assange would exhaust all available avenues for appeal within the UK legal system, thus triggering the extradition process.
As the court recessed for lunch, the clamor outside surged, as Assange supporters have gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice holding banners saying "Free Assange" and "Free journalism."
- 'US trying to extradite him closer to murder'
In a statement outside the court, Stella Assange decried the case against her husband as a direct assault on press freedom.
"We heard that the case was only brought after the United States said that it would do anything to prevent the International Criminal Court from examining an investigation into US activities in Afghanistan," she said.
"Wikileaks has been used as evidence in European Court of Human Rights and other foreign courts to expose state criminality. And the United States is abusing its legal system in order to hound and prosecute and intimidate all of you," she added.
- 'It will mark end of journalism if he is extradited'
Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief at WikiLeaks, condemned what he described as a grave injustice against Assange, urging journalists to unite to oppose the extradition.
"Reporters Without Borders have been observing proceedings against journalists in countries around the world. And they have never experienced anything similar as they've experienced here in the UK court system," he said.
He underscored the magnitude of Assange's ordeal, calling it "one of the greatest injustices that we've seen in lots of times."
"It will mark the end of journalism if he is extradited," Hrafnsson said, outlining the existential stakes faced by journalists worldwide.
- 'America is a war criminal'
A protester who identified herself as Esla said: "We’re here because we want Julian Assange free today. Julian Assange represents the truth of the press and our right to know. Release Julian Assange from prison to see sunlight for the first time."
"After so many years of psychological torture, to be with his wife, his little children, his friends, his family, and all of us, and Julian Assange can continually bring us the truth. We need truth more than ever," she added.
Another protester, who asked not want to be named, condemned the actions of the US, saying: "America is a war criminal, the worst rogue terrorist state there is. They've been prosecuting wars for years."
"They are terrible the way about what they do. Helicopter gunships killing people all over the Middle East. Julian Assange has published this, which we all need to know because it's our taxes that go to support these wars, for oil for business contracts. And he's just he's just presented the truth through WikiLeaks. And now he's in prison. What's he done? He's done nothing. He's a publisher, a journalist, and this is journalism in prison," he added.
Assange and his lawyers call the accusations against him politically motivated. They have hinted at a potential recourse to the European Court of Human Rights should the UK appeal fall short.