The governing body of the U.K. has approved the United States’ request to hand over to them the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange. The company responded to this order by saying that its founder has not done any crime. The lawyers of Assange are preparing to file an appeal in the High Court of the United Kingdom against this jurisdiction.
On Friday, this petition was approved by the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, Priti Patel.
This permission being granted by the government of the U.K. has brought Assange one step ahead of facing the accusations of spying in the United States. Although the lawyers of Assange have denied these accusations and remarked over the ruling that It was a black day for the rights of the press and also for the British Democracy.
Back in December 2021, the High court of the United Kingdom had also given permission to the United States for the extradition of WikiLeaks’ founder. The High Court made this judgment deducing that the officials of the U.S. have committed that they will treat Assange with respect for their dignity as a human being inside the jail.
After this judgment, the founder of WikiLeaks filed a petition in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom which was spurned by the Law Lord and passed over to Patel for the final jurisdiction.
This judgment comes as a turning point in Assange’s case. Reportedly, he has been battling to escape the legal proceeding in the United States for the past couple of years. However, Assange still has 14 days to file a petition against this jurisdiction.
When taken to the U.S., Assange will have to confront and deal with 17 accusations of spying and 1 accusation of wrong use of a computer over WikiLeaks’ publication of a large stock of classified documents ages ago.
As per the American advocate, Assange illegally assisted an analyst of the U.S. Army intelligence to purloin some classified diplomatic cables and military documents which were later published by the company and many lives were endangered.
The Journalism association and human rights group in the United Kingdom had demanded the governing body to decline the United States’ request as according to them Assange did nothing wrong he was simply practicing his duty. However, this lawsuit has warned about the legal status of the journalists and blabbermouths.
Julian Assange spent 7 years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London before going to prison in the United Kingdom in 2019.
