CNN
Quote:
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has signed an order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he faces espionage charges, in a decision his organization said marked a "dark day for press freedom."
A London court issued a formal extradition order back in April, leaving Patel to rubber-stamp his transfer to the US after a years-long legal battle.
The decision will likely see months more of legal wrangling: Jennifer Robinson, Assange's legal counsel, said Friday that an appeal would be brought, and that the case could ultimately be taken to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
In a Friday statement, Wikileaks asserted that Assange "committed no crime and is not a criminal," adding that he is a "journalist and a publisher" who "is being punished for doing his job."
"This is a dark day for Press freedom and British democracy. Anyone who cares about freedom of expression should be deeply ashamed," Wikileaks added.
The Home Office stressed on Friday that the UK courts have not found that extradition of Assange would be incompatible with his human rights.
"The UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange. Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health," it said in a statement announcing the order.
Assange has the right to appeal Friday's decision within 14 days, it added.
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18 Jun 2022, 8:28 pm
