Julian Assange’s lawyers presented their latest appeal on Tuesday to prevent the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder to the United States, which accuses him of espionage, arguing that his actions exposed serious criminal acts by US authorities and that he would face a “flagrant denial of justice†in the North American country.
Assange was not present in court. Judge Victoria Sharp said she gave her permission to leave Belmarsh prison, where she has been held for five years, but that she chose not to do so. Assange’s lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, said the 52-year-old Australian was unwell, but did not go into details.
Assange has been fighting extradition for more than 10 years, first during seven years of self-exile in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and for the last five years in the high-security prison on the outskirts of London.
He is accused of espionage and criminal use of a computer by publishing confidential documents on his website. US prosecutors say he helped military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic communications and files that WikiLeaks published, putting lives at risk.
For his followers, Assange is a secret-revealing journalist who exposed crimes by the US armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. They maintain that the accusations are politically motivated and that a fair trial does not await him in the United States.
Dozens of supporters held up signs reading “free Julian Assange” and chanted “one decision, no extradition” in a noisy protest in front of a London court where lawyers are asking judges to grant a new appeal hearing. your last resort in Britain.
“We don’t know what to expect, but you are here because the world is watching,†his wife, Stella Assange, told the crowd. “They can’t get away with it. Julian needs his freedom and we all need to know the truth.â€
