London: The London High Court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to the US from the UK. The High Court overturned a British lower court ruling that he could not be deported to the United States due to concerns about his mental health.
Assange, 50, is accused of leaking thousands of US military and diplomatic documents of US covert operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States has repeatedly called for his release.
The British lower court ruled that he could have committed suicide if extradited to the United States. However, the United States assured the court that it would proceed with the protection in case of suicide.
Assange, an Australian citizen, was deported by the UK in January. U.S. Court of Appeals Friday’s verdict shows that the authorities have won. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison. Assange’s fiance Stella Morris has said she intends to appeal the verdict. Assange Belmarsh has been in jail since 2019. He sought asylum in Ecuador in 2012 after the United States filed a lawsuit and was hiding at the embassy there. He was eventually expelled. He was later arrested for violating bail conditions.
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