The United Kingdom’s High Court is due to hold a crucial hearing in imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s long-running legal battle to avoid extradition to the United States.
- 2h ago(07:30 GMT)
Assange’s wife heading to court
Stella Assange says she’s on her way to the court in London, along with the father and the brother of the WikiLeaks founder.
- 2h ago(07:25 GMT)
What assurances had the court asked?
The High Court sought two sets of assurances from the US to decide whether the extradition is lawful under domestic and international law.
In 2021, it asked the US government to provide diplomatic assurances that Assange would not be held in a maximum security prison or subject to “Special Administrative Measures”, which allow the US government to restrict a prisoner’s contact with the outside world. Critics claim these measures can result in people being held in solitary confinement for extensive periods.
During the court’s last hearing in March, it gave the US three weeks to provide guarantees that Assange, who was born in Australia, would be entitled to seek a First Amendment right to free speech in a US trial and that there would be no prospect for new charges carrying the death penalty.
The US responded to both requests with written assurances, paving the way for the decisive extradition hearing to take place today.
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