Decide Victoria Sharp stated he was granted permission to come back from Belmarsh Jail, the place he has been held for 5 years, however had chosen to not attend. Assange’s lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, stated the 52-year-old Australian was unwell unwell however didn’t elaborate on his well being.
Assange has been indicted on 17 expenses of espionage and one cost of pc misuse over his web site’s publication of labeled US paperwork.
US prosecutors say he helped US Military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and navy information that WikiLeaks later revealed, placing lives in danger.
To his supporters, Assange is a secrecy-busting journalist who uncovered US navy wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan and is entitled to First Modification protections. They argue that the prosecution is politically motivated and he will not get a good trial within the US.
Rallies had been additionally held in cities world wide, together with Brussels and Berlin.
Stella Assange, who married the WikiLeans founder in jail in 2022 — stated final week that his well being has deteriorated throughout years of confinement and “if he is extradited, he’ll die”.
“We do not know what to anticipate, however you are right here as a result of the world is watching,” she instructed the group right now (in a single day AEDT)
“They only can’t get away with this. Julian wants his freedom and all of us want the reality.”
If the judges rule in opposition to Assange, he can ask the European Court docket of Human Rights to dam his extradition — although supporters fear he may very well be placed on a aircraft to the US earlier than that occurs.
“He’s being prosecuted for participating in abnormal journalistic follow of acquiring and publishing labeled data, data that’s each true and of apparent and vital public curiosity,” Fitzgerald stated in court docket.
In written submissions, the lawyer stated that “Julian Assange and WikiLeaks had been chargeable for the publicity of criminality on the a part of the US authorities on an unprecedented scale”.
Fitzgerald additionally stated there’s a danger Assange “will endure a flagrant denial of justice” if despatched to the US.
Whereas a number of of Assange’s arguments in opposition to extradition have already been rejected by British courts, his legal professionals need the judges to think about a number of new arguments.
They are saying Assange is going through a political prosecution for exposing “pervasive criminality” and that sending him throughout the Atlantic would breach the British-American extradition treaty.
“It’s an abuse of course of to hunt extradition for a political offence,” Fitzgerald stated.
Assange’s legal professionals additionally need judges to rethink allegations that the CIA and different US officers developed plans to kidnap or kill Assange whereas he was within the Ecuadorian Embassy.
A lower-court choose has dismissed the claims, however Assange legal professional Mark Summers stated on Tuesday “there may be compelling proof now in existence that the plot was actual”.
“There was a plot to kidnap Mr. Assange, to rendition him to America, or else straightforwardly homicide him,” the lawyer claimed.
Assange’s legal professionals additionally argue that WikiLeaks’ publication of 1000’s of labeled paperwork was “protected by universally recognised and entrenched ideas of free speech”.
James Lewis, a lawyer for the US, stated Assange was being prosecuted “as a result of he’s alleged to have dedicated severe prison offences.”
He argued in written submissions that Assange’s actions “threatened harm to the strategic and nationwide safety pursuits of the USA” and put people named within the paperwork — together with Iraqis and Afghans who had helped the US — vulnerable to “severe bodily hurt”.
The Australian parliament final week known as for Assange to be allowed to return to his homeland.
“No matter the place individuals stand, this factor can’t simply go on and on and on indefinitely,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated.
Supporters plan to show exterior the neo-Gothic court docket constructing right now and tomorrow (in a single day AEDT) and march to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Downing Avenue workplace on the finish of the listening to.
Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson may ship a verdict on the finish of the two-day listening to on Wednesday, however they’re extra prone to take a number of weeks to think about their resolution.
“This listening to marks the start of the tip of the extradition case, as any grounds rejected by these judges can’t be additional appealed within the UK – bringing Assange dangerously near extradition,” the press freedom group Reporters With out Borders stated.
Assange’s spouse, Stella Assange — a lawyer whom he married in jail in 2022 — says his well being has deteriorated throughout years of confinement.
“His well being is in decline, mentally and bodily. His life is in danger each single day he stays in jail, and if he is extradited, he’ll die,” she instructed reporters final week.
Assange’s authorized troubles started in 2010, when he was arrested in London on the request of Sweden, which needed to query him about allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two girls.
In 2012, he jumped bail and sought refuge contained in the Ecuadorian Embassy, the place he was past the attain of UK and Swedish authorities — however was additionally successfully a prisoner within the tiny diplomatic mission.
The connection between Assange and his hosts ultimately soured, and he was evicted from the embassy in April 2019. British police instantly arrested him for breaching bail in 2012.
He has been held in London’s Belmarsh Jail all through his extradition battle. Sweden dropped the intercourse crimes investigations in November 2019 as a result of a lot time had elapsed.
Assange’s legal professionals say he may withstand 175 years in jail if convicted, although American authorities have stated the sentence is prone to be a lot shorter than that.