New step in the Assange case.

British justice authorized Monday, January 24, the founder of WikiLeaks Julian Assange to ask the Supreme Court to be able to challenge a decision authorizing his extradition to the United States, which wants to try him for a massive leak of documents.

The High Court judges made clear in their ruling that it was ultimately up to the Supreme Court, the UK's highest court, whether or not to allow the 50-year-old Australian's appeal.

In December, the High Court overturned on appeal the decision of a judge who refused at first instance to extradite Julian Assange to the United States where he is being prosecuted for the dissemination, from 2010, of more than 700,000 documents classified on US military and diplomatic activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

175 years of prison sentence incurred

Prosecuted in particular for espionage, he risks up to 175 years in prison in a case which, according to his supporters, constitutes a serious attack on the freedom of the press.

"I have no words to say how relieved I am," reacted Sue Barnett, 61, questioned by AFP among the dozens of people who gathered outside the High Court on Monday to support Julian Assange .

In her hands, she held a sign asking for her release "now".

>> To (re)read on France24.com: "Assange trial: 'What is at stake is above all the freedom of the press'"

British justice initially ruled in his favor a year ago, when Judge Vanessa Baraitser opposed the surrender to US authorities of Julian Assange, citing the risk of suicide.

But Washington scored a major victory in December, when the High Court overturned that decision, finding the United States had provided assurances that addressed the judge's concerns.

The Australian's lawyers then filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.

American Concessions

Held in a high security prison near London for two and a half years, Julian Assange was arrested by British police in April 2019 after spending seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in the United Kingdom where he had taken refuge. while he was out on bail.

He then feared extradition to the United States or Sweden, where he was the subject of rape proceedings since abandoned.

During the appeal hearing about his extradition at the end of October, the United States had sought to reassure on the treatment which would be reserved for the founder of WikiLeaks.

Washington said he would not be incarcerated in the ADX very high security prison in Florence (Colorado), nicknamed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” – where in particular are detained in near total isolation members of Al-Qaeda – and that he would receive the necessary clinical and psychological care.

The Americans had also raised the possibility that he could ask to serve his sentence in Australia.

These guarantees had convinced the British judges, but not Julian Assange's fiancée, Stella Morris, with whom he had two children when he was recluse in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Stella Morris fears for his health if he is extradited to a country which she says "conspired to kill Julian because of what he published".

The Australian received the support of around forty French deputies from all sides, who pleaded for him to be able to benefit from political asylum in France.

With AFP

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