Now, the cabal is one step closer to getting its hooks into Assange, per The Associated Press:Exclusive Video: Julian Assange’s Father Calls on America to Respect the First Amendment https://t.co/8CKzl4U3vg
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 26, 2020
A British judge on Wednesday formally approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face spying charges. The case will now go to Britain’s interior minister for a decision, though the WikiLeaks founder still has legal avenues of appeal.
The order, which brings an end to the years’-long extradition battle closer, comes after the U.K. Supreme Court last month refused Assange permission to appeal against a lower court's ruling that he could be extradited. The AP noted further that District Judge Paul Goldspring issued his order at a brief hearing at the Westminster Magistrates' Court as Assange looked on via a video link from the Belmarsh Prison where he's been held, as his supporters rallied outside the courthouse and called for him to be released. Following the ruling, Home Secretary Priti Patel will get to decide whether or not to allow Assange to be extradited to the U.S., where he likely faces a life sentence if convicted. "The move doesn’t exhaust the legal options for Assange, who has sought for years to avoid a trial in the U.S. on charges related to WikiLeaks' publication of a huge trove of classified documents more than a decade ago," the AP reported, adding that Assange's attorneys have a month to submit appeals to Patel while also appealing to the British High Court. One of Assange's attorneys, Mark Summers, told the district court that he and his legal team had "serious submissions" to make. Meanwhile, the Washington Examiner reported that a coalition of press freedom and human rights organizations are urging Patel not to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the U.S. The coalition "[urges Patel] to act in the interest of press freedom and journalism by refusing extradition and immediately releasing Mr. Assange from prison, where he has remained on remand for three years despite the great risks posed to his mental and physical health," the groups noted in a Friday letter. The outlet continued: If Assange is extradited, he will face trial on 17 counts under the Espionage Act and one count under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The coalition argued that Assange would be most likely "detained there in conditions of isolation or solitary confinement despite the US government’s assurances" and that this would increase his risk of suicide. The coalition also said that Assange would be afforded a public defense because of the secretive nature of the Espionage Act and that "his prosecution would set a dangerous precedent that could be applied to any media outlet that published stories based on leaked information, or indeed any journalist, publisher or source anywhere in the world." Except that major American media outlets publish highly classified materials all the time -- without retribution. Assange did the world more of a service than nearly every other media outlet combined. He should be set free. Sources include: Breitbart.com WashingtonExaminer.comDel Bigtree: What if the anti-vaxxers are the chosen ones all along?
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