Julian Assange Extradition to U.S. Imminent?

“Julian Assange has lost his appeal against extradition to the U.S. on espionage charges,” according to a Daily Mail report.

Although Assange’s attorneys have until the end of the week to contest the judgement, they reportedly indicated they won’t appeal the decision further.

If Assange’s attorneys don’t appeal, this would exhaust all his options in the UK courts.

At this point, there’s a slim chance to block Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States.

🚨 BREAKING: UK High Court judge Sir Jonathan Swift has rejected Julian Assange’s appeal against order to extradite him on all grounds, bringing Assange dangerously close to extradition to the US where he faces up to 175 years in prison for publishing evidence of US war crimes. pic.twitter.com/qEs7j00SAr

— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) June 8, 2023

https://twitter.com/KarliBonnita/status/1666849144810373120

Daily Mail explained:

There is still a chance that his extradition could be blocked by a last minute intervention from judges in Europe.

In December, Assange appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.

To halt his extradition now, the European Court would have to issue an emergency injunction known as a Rule 39 order.

This allows a judge to effectively block any action until further legal proceedings to decide on the merits of a case.

These so-called ‘interim measures’ are typically used to suspend an extradition, often by asylum seekers who fear persecution if they are returned to their home country.

Between 2020 and 2022, the ECHR granted 12 of 161 applications for ‘interim measures’ against the UK government.

Most recently, the order was used to stop the deportation of illegal migrants to Rwanda.

Such an order would be extremely controversial and likely be seen as another attack on British sovereignty, fuelling calls for Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Amnesty: "We call on the UK to refrain from extraditing Julian Assange, for the US to drop the charges, and for Assange to be freed” @amnesty https://t.co/GlWuuUBMEb

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 8, 2023

Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders says: "It is absurd that a single judge can issue a three-page decision that could land Julian Assange in prison for the rest of his life and permanently impact the climate for journalism around the world."https://t.co/7evi9YDI7f

— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) June 8, 2023

“On Tuesday next week my husband Julian Assange will make a renewed application for appeal to the High Court. The matter will then proceed to a public hearing before two new judges at the High Court and we remain optimistic that we will prevail and that Julian will not be extradited to the United States where he faces charges that could result in him spending the rest of his life in a maximum security prison for publishing true information that revealed war crimes committed by the U.S. government,” Stella Assange, Julian’s wife, said in a statement.

Statement:

On Tuesday next week my husband Julian Assange will make a renewed application for appeal to the High Court. The matter will then proceed to a public hearing before two new judges at the High Court and we remain optimistic that we will prevail and that Julian will not…

— Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) June 8, 2023

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) wrote:

In a three-page written decision issued on 6 June, a single judge, Justice Swift, rejected all eight grounds of Assange’s appeal against the extradition order signed by then-UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in June 2022. This leaves only one final step in the UK courts, as the defence has five working days to submit an appeal of only 20 pages to a panel of two judges, who will convene a public hearing. Further appeals will not be possible at the domestic level, but Assange could bring a case to the European Court of Human Rights.

“It is absurd that a single judge can issue a three-page decision that could land Julian Assange in prison for the rest of his life and permanently impact the climate for journalism around the world. The historical weight of what happens next cannot be overstated; it is time to put a stop to this relentless targeting of Assange and act instead to protect journalism and press freedom. Our call on President Biden is now more urgent than ever: drop these charges, close the case against Assange, and allow for his release without further delay.”

Rebecca Vincent
RSF’s Director of Campaigns