The verdict on whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be extradited to the United States for trial will come Monday in Britain. Whether U.S. President Donald Trump will intervene in the case and pardon Assange has raised concerns.
At 10 a.m. local time on Jan. 4 at the Old Bailey in London, Judge Vanessa Baraitser will rule on whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the United States for trial. If she grants the request, British Home Secretary Priti Patel will make the final decision.
Since 2010, WikiLeaks has continued to disclose to the public a large number of classified documents from multiple governments, including the private emails of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her close associates. Assange said in an interview with British television ITV that he had enough evidence to send Hillary Clinton to jail.
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Assange with multiple counts of violating counterintelligence laws. If convicted, he faces up to 175 years in prison.
Assange’s defense team said in closing arguments at his extradition hearing last fall that Assange is the victim of “politicized” legal proceedings, and that such prosecutions not only deprive individuals of their freedom of expression, but also pose a fundamental threat to press freedom around the world.
In February 2020, Amnesty International launched a global coalition to demand that the U.S. authorities must drop the charges against him and allow him to be released immediately.
On December 15 last year, Assange formally requested a pardon from President Trump.
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