March 26, 2024 at 12:48PM
A British court ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States on espionage charges unless the U.S. guarantees no death penalty. Assange remains in London’s Belmarsh Prison as the legal saga continues. High Court judges granted a new appeal if the U.S. does not provide further assurances within three weeks.
The British court ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States unless the U.S. guarantees he won’t receive the death penalty and is afforded the same First Amendment protections as a U.S. citizen. The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment on the ruling. The legal saga will continue, and Assange will remain in custody at London’s Belmarsh Prison. The court accepted three grounds for appeal: the threat to Assange’s freedom of speech, his claim that he faces disadvantage as a non-U.S. citizen, and the risk of facing the death penalty. However, the court rejected six of Assange’s nine grounds of appeal. The judges have stated that a new hearing will be held if the U.S. files new assurances within three weeks.