Assange's legal battle began in 2010 and he spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London before being arrested in 2019 for breaching his bail conditions.
Protest for freedom for Assange, not US extradition (Reproduction: Justin Tallis/Getty Images)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to face his last chance to avoid extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States. Outside London's High Court, a crowd of supporters gathered and chanted, “One decision, nothing. Surrender”.
Assange's wife, Stella, addressed the crowd, stressing the importance of the moment: “We have two big days ahead of us. We didn't know what to expect, but you're here because the world is watching. They need to know that there is no escaping this. Julian needs his freedom, we all need the truth.
Assange's legal battle began in 2010 and he spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London before being arrested in 2019 for breaching his bail conditions. Since then, he has been in a maximum security prison in south-east London.
Assange's lawyers will argue that the impeachment is politically motivated and represents an attack on freedom of expression. Assange's supporters include Amnesty International, media groups that cooperated with WikiLeaks, and Australian politicians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who recently voted in favor of a motion for Assange's return to Australia.
The outcome of this case is important. If Assange wins, a full appeals hearing will be held. If he loses, his last hope will be to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
WikiLeaks rose to prominence in 2010 when it released a US military video showing a 2007 Apache helicopter attack on Baghdad and released thousands of classified files and diplomatic cables.
*With information from the BBC and The Guardian
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