Wednesday 11th August 2021
Appeal for US extradition
Assange appears at the hearing in London
Julian Assange has been in a British prison for more than two years. The health of the Wikileaks founder is considered extremely poor. Now he will be connected to a hearing via video. It is again about the US extradition request.
For the first time in more than half a year, the founder of the platform Wikileaks, Julian Assange, appeared in court at a public hearing in London. The 50-year-old was switched on via video from the maximum security prison Belmarsh in the south-east of the British capital, where he has been sitting for more than two years. He wore long hair combed back, glasses, and a loose-fitting shirt. The ends of a tie hung loosely from his collar.
The hearing focused on the scope of the appeal process over the US extradition request, which was rejected in January. Meanwhile, dozens of supporters of the Australian gathered in front of the courthouse of the London High Court, calling for his immediate release with chants like “Free Julian Assange”.
The US judiciary wants to try Assange in the United States on allegations of espionage. However, a judge in London had rejected the extradition request with regard to his compromised mental health and the expected prison conditions in the USA. The US attorney’s office appealed against this. A decision is now to be made about the scope of this appeal procedure, which has already been approved at least in part.
“US credibility” is at stake
“It is absolutely clear that the US government should drop the allegations. The Biden government cannot defend freedom of the press while continuing this case,” Assange’s partner Stella Moris told the UK news agency PA. The managing director of the journalists’ organization Reporters Without Borders, Christian Mihr, said: “In the end this is also decisive for the credibility of the USA.” They finally announced that they would return to the world stage.
Assange had previously lived in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for years. In 2019, however, the South American country withdrew his protection and left him to the British authorities. In the meantime he has also lost his Ecuadorian citizenship.
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