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UK clears Assange extradition to US
Britain approved a US government request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face trial over the publication of secret military files, prompting outrage from his supporters.
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In this file photo taken on May 1, 2019, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at court in London to be sentenced for bail violation. (AFP/Daniel Leal)
B
ritain on Friday approved a US government request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face trial over the publication of secret military files, prompting outrage from his supporters.
Home Secretary Priti Patel's interior ministry said Assange had 14 days to appeal the decision, which comes after a UK court issued a formal order clearing his removal in April.
Assange's supporters have held frequent rallies to protest the planned deportation in what they claim is a defence of media freedom and free speech.
His wife, Stella, has pleaded for his release from custody after they had two children in secret he was holed up for years in Ecuador's London embassy.
WikiLeaks called Patel's decision a "dark day for press freedom and for British democracy" and vowed to pursue the appeal to the High Court".
It accused the United States of having "plotted his assassination".
"Julian did nothing wrong. He has committed no crime and is not a criminal. He is a journalist and a publisher, and he is being punished for doing his job," the group said in a statement.
