WikiLeaks Founder Assange Granted Permission to Appeal Extradition
Assange, Currently Held in U.K. Prison, Faces Espionage Charges in U.S.
Court Ruling Could Determine Assange's Fate
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been granted permission to appeal against his extradition to the United States. The High Court in London ruled on Monday that Assange can challenge a lower court's decision to extradite him on espionage charges.
The U.S. government is seeking to extradite Assange, an Australian computer expert, to face trial for publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents obtained from a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, Chelsea Manning. Assange claims that the documents exposed wrongdoing by the U.S. government and that he is being persecuted for journalism.
The High Court's decision is a significant development in the long-running legal battle over Assange's fate. If Assange's appeal is successful, he could avoid extradition to the U.S. and further prosecution. However, if the appeal fails, he could face up to 175 years in prison in the U.S.
The court's ruling is expected to be announced on Tuesday. Assange, 52, has been held in a maximum-security prison in London since 2019.
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