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Julian Assange in 2019. Alamy Stock Photo

Julian Assange wins ruling in his battle against extradition to US

The WikiLeaks founder is wanted in the US over an alleged conspiracy to disclose national defence information.

LAST UPDATE | 24 Jan 2022

JULIAN ASSANGE HAS won the first stage of his UK Supreme Court appeal bid against a decision to allow his extradition to the United States.

Assange, 50, is wanted in the US over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

In December last year, US authorities won their High Court challenge to overturn a judge’s earlier ruling that Assange should not be extradited due to a real and “oppressive” risk of suicide.

The WikiLeaks founder’s lawyers are seeking to appeal that decision at the Supreme Court, arguing it raises “serious and important” legal issues.

For a proposed appeal to be considered by the UK’s highest court, a case has to raise a point of law of “general public importance”.

This morning, two senior judges ruled there was a point of law, but refused permission for the appeal.

However, Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde, said Assange could go to the Supreme Court itself and ask to bring the appeal.

london-uk-january-24th-2022-london-uk-julian-assange-fiancee-stella-moris-addresses-the-media-outside-the-royal-courts-of-justice-in-london-as-julian-assange-wins-his-appeal-to-go-to-the-supreme Julian Assange's fiancée Stella Moris addressing the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

“Whether or not the issue needs ventilation in that court is a matter appropriately for its decision,” Burnett said.

He also asked the Supreme Court to “take steps to expedite consideration” of any application for an appeal.

Assange’s lawyers now have 14 days to make the application to the Supreme Court.

Assange’s fiancee, Stella Moris, hailed today’s court pronouncement as a win, but said Assange was still “far from achieving justice in this case”.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice, she said: “But let’s not forget that every time we win, as long as this case isn’t dropped, as long as Julian isn’t freed, Julian continues to suffer.

“For almost three years he has been in Belmarsh prison and he is suffering profoundly, day after day, week after week, year after year. Julian has to be freed and we hope that this will soon end.”

She added: “Our fight goes on and we will fight this until Julian is free.”

In her January 2021 ruling blocking the extradition, then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser found in favour of the US on all issues except Assange’s mental health.

Assange has previously indicated that he wants to challenge the original judge’s other findings at a later date.

Overturning the block on the extradition in December, senior judges found that Judge Baraitser had based her decision on the risk of Assange being held in highly restrictive prison conditions if extradited.

However, the US authorities later gave assurances that Assange would not face those strictest measures either pre-trial or post-conviction unless he committed an act in the future that required them.

Burnett previously said that if the original judge had been given those assurances at the time of her ruling, “she would have answered the relevant question differently”.

In today’s pronouncement, Burnett said the point of law was about the circumstances in which an appeal court can be given assurances by a country that were not given at the original extradition.

He added that “although the law in this jurisdiction has long been settled it does not appear that the Supreme Court has considered the question.

“Assurances are at the heart of many extradition proceedings.”

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    Mute Bella Gunning
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    Oct 29th 2014, 5:19 PM

    Great news for people who sell ‘stuff’

    19
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    Mute R Neuville
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    Oct 29th 2014, 7:22 PM

    Obscene Lobby Driven car tax on pre-2008 cars forcing people to buy new cars. Those who cannot afford new cars subsidising the annual road tax of the wealthy who can. A most regressive tax. Was not passed in the UK. Ireland a lobby ridden disgusting place to live – no equity. Bring your Brains to the Polling Booths.

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    Mute Tequila Gold
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    Oct 29th 2014, 7:19 PM

    The one in the picture would be better off hugging a bicycle

    6
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    Mute Bevin Reilly
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    Oct 29th 2014, 6:42 PM

    Love that stock photo.

    4
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    Mute Business Cat
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    Oct 29th 2014, 4:27 PM

    Name the car in the picture….

    I’m thinking RR Evoque?

    4
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    Mute wondermiss
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    Oct 29th 2014, 4:50 PM

    KIA sorento I think

    20
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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Oct 29th 2014, 9:01 PM

    A bit of that Mechanophilia stuff going on there by the look of it

    2
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    Mute CW
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    Oct 29th 2014, 8:45 PM

    Well the bullshit statistics from the high street say that most under 25′s and up to 30 are buying in the high street due to increasing numbers employed in the financial and insurance industry, the high street doesn’t show the online buying by the work in poor at middle class’s that wouldn’t pay those prices. It’s a two tier system, that the government are now dependent on the young living at home for their figures. The ESRI is not reflective to the population.

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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Oct 29th 2014, 8:59 PM

    All we need now is a scrappage scheme for 3 year old cars, supported by the SIMI and Green party!

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    Mute Christabel Benoit
    Favourite Christabel Benoit
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    Nov 2nd 2014, 5:19 PM

    And I just bought a beautiful vintage sofa, which only comes to prove I spend a lot on what we’ve been talking in this article. If I were a keen driver, I’d probably spend a lot on my car as well. Take a look at the pros and cons of vintage furniture: http://www.hometalk.com/5463165/the-pros-and-cons-of-vintage-furniture and you will understand what I am talking about.

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