What could be the final act in the long-running drama of Julian Assange’s legal battles has opened at the High Court in London. The two-day hearing is considering the Wikileaks founder’s appeal for a review of his extradition to the United States, which was given the go-ahead two years ago and approved by the then-Home Secretary, Priti Patel.
The US had applied for his extradition on 17 counts of espionage and one of computer misuse in connection with the publication of a large trove of classified material, which included sensitive diplomatic cables and video recordings of US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Among then, most notoriously, was quite shocking cockpit footage showing the killing of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, including a Reuters photographer and his driver.
The case has gone to and fro between the courts. Extradition was initially refused on the grounds that the likely conditions of his detention in the US could precipitate his suicide, then approved after the US appealed and offered certain guarantees about his treatment. This week’s hearing effectively appeals that decision, with counsel for Assange arguing for a review of the previous ruling.
If Assange wins, the whole case for his extradition could be reopened, or the US could drop its case and Assange could taste freedom for the first time in more than a decade. If he loses, he could find himself on a plane to the United States sooner rather than later, although there could also be an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. That, however, would depend on the ECHR agreeing to hear the case and the UK blocking any extradition flight pending the judgment – neither of which would be a foregone conclusion.
As ever with court hearings relating to Julian Assange, the theatre began early outside the court, with banners, speeches and chants by his loyal supporters, including his one-time lawyer and now wife, Stella, who see his case, at root, as a fundamental test of the right to free speech in the UK.
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