US Wins Appeal Over Extradition Of Wikileaks Founder Assange

The US government has won its appeal against a court decision that halted the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

The case will now go back to the Westminster Magistrates Court where the extradition request would need to be sent to the UK Minister of Interior, Priti Patel for review.

The 50-year-old has been in custody since April 2019, when he was sentenced to 50 weeks behind bars, can still request permission for a final ruling on Friday’s verdict from the UK’s Supreme Court..

He was ordered to remain in custody pending the outcome of the High Court’s decision over concerns he would abscond. He has spent more than two years jailed in Belmarsh maximum security prison.

Before the 2019 sentence, he was hauled out of the Ecuadorian Embassy by British authorities after his citizenship was revoked.

Assange’s fiancee, Stella Moris, said their legal team would appeal “at the earliest possible moment,” while saying it was a “grave miscarriage of justice.”

Before proceedings Moris expressed hope that he would be home for Christmas in a post on Twitter. “I hope the High Court will bring this abusive and vindictive extradition to an end today so that that our children will be able to spend Christmas with their father.

Rights groups have expressed disapproval at the court’s decision, especially with Friday marking International Human Rights Day.

Melzer said he had personally investigated Assange’s case and said there had been gross rights violations.

The UN experts also suggested that Assange’s legal team highlight press freedom and human rights violations by cross-appealing January’s ruling.