UN expert urge UK to not extradite Julian Assange, US to drop charges

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - A UN expert urged the UK on Friday not to extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and said the US should drop the charges.

Such decisions could have "serious implications" for freedom of expression, said Irene Khan, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, said in a statement.

"Gathering, reporting and disseminating information, including national security information when it is in the public interest, is a legitimate exercise of journalism and should not be treated as a crime," she said.

Khan is "concerned about the use of the Espionage Act in this case, as this statute provides no protection for the publication of information in the public interest.

"It would set a dangerous precedent that could have a chilling effect on investigative journalism in the United States and possibly elsewhere in the world," she warned.

"International human rights law provides strong protections for whistle-blowers, journalistic sources and reporting in the public interest," she said. "I call on the United States and the United Kingdom, which profess to uphold the right to freedom of expression, to uphold these international standards in the case of Julian Assange."

The last attempt by Assange to avoid extradition to the US ended last week at the UK High Court in London amid a heavy downpour.

As anticipated, the verdict will be delivered at a later time.

The justices will withhold their decision for now and will communicate with the involved parties if further information is required.

Assange faces a 175-year sentence in the US if his extradition is not denied.

- What happened?

Assange, who has been detained in a UK prison since 2019, faces extradition concerning allegations of leaking classified military documents in 2010 - 2011.

The UK High Court, in a pivotal 2021 ruling, said Assange should be extradited, dismissing assertions about his fragile mental state and 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 have exhausted all available avenues for appeal within the UK legal system, triggering the extradition process.