U.S. tries again to extradite Wikileaks’ Assange from Britain

LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) – A London judge on Wednesday expanded the scope of a U.S. complaint against a ban on the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange from the UK and will hear the new offer in late October.

A judge ruled in January that Assange should not be extradited to the United States for criminal prosecution, including violating an espionage law. Continue reading

Assange faces 18 criminal charges in the United States for violating an espionage law and conspiracy to hack government computers.

WikiLeaks released a US military video in 2010 showing an Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad in 2007 that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news agents. Then it published thousands of classified information and diplomatic cables.

The legal saga began shortly afterwards when Sweden filed for Assange’s extradition from Britain on charges of sex crimes. When he lost this case in 2012, he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he spent seven years.

When he was finally dragged out in April 2019, he was jailed for violating British bail conditions, despite the fact that Swedish proceedings against him had been dropped.

Supporters of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange display a banner in front of the Royal Courts of Justice during the U.S. government’s appeal against a ruling by a British judge that Assange should not be extradited in London, Great Britain, on August 11, 2021. REUTERS / Henry Nicholls

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The United States had already been given permission to appeal the January ruling on three grounds, but on Wednesday called for the scope to be expanded to include a reassessment of the expert evidence assessing Assange’s risk of suicide.

Judge Timothy Holroyde said it was unusual for an appeals court to reconsider evidence from an expert witness when accepted by a lower court.

However, he said it was questionable whether the appeals court could make a different assessment as a key expert failed to disclose what he knew about Assange’s relationship with his partner, Stella Moris.

“I think it is questionable that the … DJ (district judge) was wrong,” he said.

Lawyers on both sides agreed that the full appeal hearing should be scheduled for October 27th and 28th.

Assange attended the hearing via video link and wore glasses, a face mask and a white shirt.

Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by Angus MacSwan

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