London court allows Julian Assange to appeal against his extradition to the United States | world

The High Court of Justice in London on Monday (20) allowed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to appeal against the request for his extradition to the United States.

Assange could be sentenced to 175 years in prison in the United States if he is sent to the country of which he holds citizenship. The American courts want to try himr 700,000 secret documents leaked since 2010 about American military and diplomatic activitiesEspecially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Monday's decision comes weeks after a decision by British judges Ask the US government for more information On the case, it is considered a new victory for Assange.

Now his defense must appeal and ask not to be sent to the United States and for the trial to take place in the United Kingdom. Trying this appeal is your last chance to avoid extradition.

With the identities of people who cooperated with the army in the Middle East revealed, American officials stated that the leak endangered people's lives.

In 2019, the US Department of Justice described the WikiLeaks leaks as… “One of the largest leaks of classified information in history we“.

“My client is being prosecuted for engaging in a common journalistic practice of obtaining and disseminating confidential information, truthful information and information of clear and significant public interest,” Assange's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, said in court.

In turn, Claire Dubin, the lawyer representing the United States, said that Assange published the names of people who “served as sources of information for the United States.”

In January 2021, a British court initially rejected the request for extradition to the United States. However, the US appeal meant that in December 2021, the British court overturned the first decision and opened the way for extradition – until this week's trial.

The WikiLeaks founder has been imprisoned in England since 2019, after spending seven years detained in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he sought refuge to avoid… Extradition on sexual assault charges in Sweden, which were later dropped.

Before the trial, Assange's wife warned of the fragility of the 52-year-old Australian's health.

“His health is deteriorating, both physically and mentally,” Stella Assange said last week. “His life is in danger every day he remains in prison, and if he is extradited, he will die.”