The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has appealed the British government's decision to extradite him to the US, the High Court in London has announced.
The 50-year-old Australian is at risk of being sentenced in the US to 175 years in prison after being accused of massive leaks of confidential and classified documents.
After a lengthy legal battle, Britain's Home Secretary Pretty Patel signed the order to extradite him to the US on 17 June. Assange, who has been held for three years at Belmarsh maximum security prison near London, was given until today to appeal the decision.
Earlier today, on the occasion of Assange's birthday (he will turn 51 on Sunday), several dozen of his supporters and his wife, Stella Assange, gathered outside the Home Office to protest against the decision to extradite him to the US. They then boarded an old London bus and took a ride through the city centre, chanting "Release Julian Assange now."
"He is in prison for telling the truth. He's innocent, so why is he in jail?" asked Gloria Wildman, a 79-year-old retiree who frequently attends rallies in support of Assange. "If Assange is not released, we won't be released either, nobody will be free," she added."
If Assange's request is granted, the hearing could be delayed until early 2023, according to a lawyer at Bindmans, a firm specializing in such cases. Assange could also appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, a process that could take several years.
Source: APM
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