UK High Court gives WikiLeaks founder permission to take his legal fight against US extradition to the Supreme Court.
In a shock turn of events, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can take his legal fight against extradition to the United States to the Supreme Court, the High Court has ruled.
US officials accuse Assange of 18 offences. This includes 17 counts of espionage and one of computer misuse, relating to WikiLeaks’ release of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables approximately 10 years ago.
Washington argues their publication put lives in danger and the charges against Assange carry a maximum prison sentence of 175 years.
Assange denies any wrongdoing. His lawyers argue he was acting as a journalist and is entitled to his First Amendment freedom of the press protections for publishing documents that exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is a breaking news story. More details to follow.
