The 50-year-old Australian decided not to appear by videoconference at the hearing before the High Court in London.
The British justice began to study this Wednesday the appeal presented by the United States against the United Kingdom’s refusal to extradite the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, claimed by a massive leak of documents.
The 50-year-old Australian decided not to appear by video conference at the London High Court hearing, according to his lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, for reasons he will explain later.
After seven years imprisoned in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and two and a half years in the Belmarsh high security prison, the Australian, considered by his followers as a victim of attacks against freedom of expression, took a great step towards his freedom in january.
British judge Vanessa Baraitser then rejected Washington’s extradition demand, claiming there was a risk that Assange would commit suicide. In the United States, he faces a sentence of 175 years in prison.
In its appeal, Washington calls into question the reliability of an expert who testified in favor of Assange.
Indeed, psychiatrist Michael Kopelman acknowledged that he had deceived justice by “hiding” the fact that his client became a father during his confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
This appeal to the High Court in London, which will last two days, is one of Washington’s last recourse, which, if it fails, could only go to the British Supreme Court.
In the event of victory, it will not be the end of the case, which will be forwarded to another court that must rule on the merits.
“In very bad condition”
Before the start of the hearing, several dozen people gathered in front of the High Court in London to support Assange.
“He did nothing wrong from a legal, ethical or moral point of view,” Sadia Koknie, 40, who was present to support the Australian militant, told AFP.
“He was imprisoned in disgusting conditions (…). He shouldn’t be here and what he experienced is totally ridiculous, “he added.
Assange, who has the support of numerous press freedom defense organizations, is wanted by the United States for espionage following the publication of some 700,000 secret military and diplomatic documents.
He was arrested by British police in April 2019, after spending seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he took refuge when he was free on bail. He feared extradition to the United States or Sweden, who claimed him for rape, charges that have since been dropped.
According to his partner, Stella Moris, who visited him in jail on Saturday, Assange is “in very bad shape.” “Julian would not survive an extradition, is the conclusion of the magistrate,” he said at a press conference.
“Julian wants to be able to go back to Australia and see his family, his mother, whom he has not seen for eight years,” he explained, although he admitted that it will be difficult because “Australia has done nothing to ensure his safety.”
For WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, Kristinn Hrafnsson, it would be “unthinkable” for the High Court in London to reach any other conclusion than “confirmation” of the refusal to hand over Assange to Washington.
Assange is the subject of a process launched during the presidency of Donald Trump. Under the presidency of Barack Obama, who had Joe Biden as vice president, the American justice had resigned to act against the founder of WikiLeaks.
But Biden’s election to the White House does not appear to entail the turnaround in the case that Assange supporters had hoped for.
Several organizations for the defense of human rights and freedom of the press, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, in mid-October urged the US attorney general to abandon the measures. (I)
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