Julian Assange US extradition ruling updates: Assange wins brief reprieve
Judges say US authorities have three weeks to provide assurances, with a final decision to be made in late May.
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This live page is now closed. You can read more here.
- The British High Court in London rules WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be allowed to appeal against his extradition to the United States unless the US provided assurances, including on death penalty.
- The judges said the US authorities had three weeks to give those assurances, with a final decision to be made in late May.
- Prosecutors in the US are seeking to put Assange on trial on charges of espionage relating to WikiLeaks’s release of classified documents relating to the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
It’s a wrap from us
Thank you for joining us for updates on the proceedings at the UK High Court in Assange’s case.
You can read more on the importance of today’s court ruling here and find out why some claim the WikiLeaks founder’s extradition would be a “death sentence for democracy“.
You can also watch our colleague Virginia Pietromarchi explaining who Assange is and why he’s wanted in the US.
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of the day’s main events.
- The High Court has ruled the US must give assurances that Assange will not face the death penalty before judges will consider dismissing the WikiLeaks founder’s bid to bring an extradition appeal.
- The ruling means the legal saga, which has dragged on for more than a decade, will continue and Assange will remain inside London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, where he has spent the last five years.
- The court said in its written ruling that Assange arguably would not be entitled to rely on the First Amendment right to free speech as a non-US national and that, while none of the existing charges carried the death penalty, he could later be charged with a capital offence such as treason, meaning it would be unlawful to extradite him.
- Amnesty International said the “UK remains intent on extraditing Assange despite the grave risk that he will be subjected to torture or ill-treatment in the US”.
High Court ruling leaves Assange, all media workers in limbo: Amnesty
Amnesty International says the UK High Court’s decision “leaves in limbo Julian Assange and all defenders of press freedom”.
“But the fight continues,” Simon Crowther, Amnesty’s legal adviser said.
“The US lawyers now have a second opportunity to make diplomatic assurances which the court will consider in May. Instead of allowing this protracted legal process to continue, the US should drop all charges against Assange.”
Crowther also said that the “UK remains intent on extraditing Assange despite the grave risk that he will be subjected to torture or ill-treatment in the US”.
“While the US has allegedly assured the UK that it will not violate Assange’s rights, we know from past cases that such ‘guarantees’ are deeply flawed – and the diplomatic assurances so far in the Assange case are riddled with loopholes,” he added.
“The US must stop its politically motivated prosecution of Assange, which puts Assange and media freedom at risk worldwide. In trying to imprison him, the US is sending an unambiguous warning to publishers and journalists everywhere that they too could be targeted and that it is not safe for them to receive and publish classified material – even if doing so is in the public interest.”
Assange’s brother says court ruling shows ‘political nature’ of case
Gabriel Shipton, Julian Assange’s brother, has said on X that the “political assurances” requested by the UK court are an indication of the “political nature of the case” in the US.
The court rejected some of Assange’s arguments, notably that the extradition was political.
Supporters of Assange argued that an extradition to the US would expose him to a politically motivated prosecution. The US government lawyers have denied the charges are politically motivated.
Julian lives to fight another day. A very strange decision by the courts, asking for more political assurances – another acknowledgment of the political nature of the case. Free Julian Assange pic.twitter.com/y3Zbf6m96n
— Gabriel Shipton (@GabrielShipton) March 26, 2024
In case you’re just joining us
It’s a few minutes past 12pm (12:00 GMT) in the UK, so here are the latest updates on the proceedings at the High Court in London.
- Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson have ruled that Assange will not be extradited immediately.
- The US has been given three weeks to provide additional guarantees, including that Assange will not face the death penalty.
- If the US provides the requested assurances by April 16, a second hearing could be held on May 20 for the court to consider whether to grant an appeal.
- Assange’s wife Stella is expected to give a speech in response to this ruling.
- The National Union of Journalists in the UK has welcomed the ruling saying it gives the WikiLeaks founder more time, but said “the risks to Assange and press freedom remain stark”.
‘Risks to Assange and press freedom remain stark’: Journalists’ union
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK has welcomed the “temporary reprieve” in Assange’s appeal judgement but said the risks to press freedom “remain stark”.
Michelle Stanistreet, the union’s general secretary, said in a statement that a “temporary reprieve is clearly preferable to an extradition that would have taken place in the coming days”.
However, “the conditionality around the grounds of appeal, which are contingent on the examination of US government assurances that he will not face the death penalty and has the right to free speech, mean the risks to Assange and press freedom remain stark.
“Assange’s prosecution by the US is for activities that are daily work for investigative journalists – finding sources with evidence of criminality and helping them to get their stories out into the world. If Assange is prosecuted, free expression the world over will be damaged,” Stanistreet said.
#NUJ welcomes temporary reprieve in #Assange appeal judgment and reiterates its call for US plea dealhttps://t.co/A0mvrNBlhM
— NUJ (@NUJofficial) March 26, 2024
What ‘satisfactory assurances’ must the US provide?
WikiLeaks has published an extract from the High Court ruling that lists the “satisfactory assurances” the US must provide for Assange’s extradition to be granted.
They include the permission to “rely on the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (which protects free speech), that he is not prejudiced at trial (including sentence) by reason of his nationality, that he is afforded the same First Amendment protections as a United States citizen and that the death penalty is not imposed”.
Assange, 52, is an Australian citizen.
The court has given US Gov 3 weeks to give satisfactory assurances: That Mr. Assange is permitted to rely on the First Amendment to the US constitution; not prejudiced at trial by reason of his nationality; and that the death penalty is not imposed #FreeAssange pic.twitter.com/Wt2VaiPUUg
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 26, 2024
Highly nuanced ruling
It was a highly nuanced decision in the end.
The judges haven’t thrown out the grounds for an appeal hearing, they have essentially upheld them.
They basically said, “Yes, we understand that there is a basis here for an appeal – however, we are going to defer a decision on that until May 20”, when they called for a second hearing.
They’ve asked the UK and US government to bring assurances to that hearing that Julian Assange would in fact be treated fairly, would receive a fair trial and would, for instance, not be given the death penalty in the US if indeed his extradition went ahead.
Was Assange present in court?
Assange, who has been held at a high-security London prison on remand since 2019, was not in court for the latest ruling, which was released online and not in a hearing.
He was absent from court on both days in February and did not follow the proceedings via video due to illness, his lawyer said at the time.
What to know about the High Court’s judgement
- Assange will not be extradited immediately.
- The UK High Court has given the US three weeks to give “satisfactory assurances”, namely that Assange will face a fair trial and that his extradition will not amount to a death sentence.
- If assurances are not given, the court will grant leave to appeal without a further hearing.
- If assurances are given then the court will allow the parties an opportunity to make further submissions before it makes a final decision.
- Therefore Assange faces a further wait to find out whether his final UK bid to appeal over his extradition to the US can go ahead at the High Court.
Stella Assange expected to speak shortly on UK ruling
We expect to hear from Assange’s wife Stella in just a few moments, responding to this decision by the High Court.
The court essentially ruled that Assange can appeal against a UK decision in 2022 that would have allowed his extradition to the US to face espionage charges there.
It is also looking for assurances by the US that Assange would face a fair trial and notably that he would not face the death penalty.
WikiLeaks says Assange granted appeal but will ‘continue long detention’ in jail
Assange has been “granted leave to appeal extradition to the US”, but after almost five years in a UK jail, he “will continue his long detention separated from his young family for revealing war crimes”, WikiLeaks says on X.
BREAKING: Julian Assange has been granted leave to appeal extradition to the US
Having spent almost five years detained at the UK's most secure prison the publisher will continue his long detention separated from his young family for revealing war crimes #FreeAssangeNOW pic.twitter.com/L3L1NZFSAB
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 26, 2024
Court adjourns Assange’s extradition case until May
The UK High Court has ruled that Assange can’t immediately be extradited to the US on espionage charges, in a partial victory for the WikiLeaks founder.
The case has been adjourned until May 20.
The judges said they would grant Assange a new appeal unless US authorities gave further assurances about what would happen to him.
The ruling means the legal saga, which has dragged on for more than a decade, will continue.
Court rules Assange can take appeal to new hearing
The WikiLeaks founder has been given permission by the High Court in London to take his challenge against extradition to the US to another hearing.
The court ruled that Assange could pursue his appeal at a full hearing unless the US provided “satisfactory assurances” on the questions of whether he was able to rely on the First Amendment of the US Constitution and whether he could be subject to the death penalty.
More to come.
Assange supporters gather in London ahead of extradition ruling
A crowd of supporters is gathering outside the High Court in London, a group campaigning for Assange to be freed has said on X.
A video posted by People For Assange shows people brandishing “Free Julian Assange” placards as police officers guard the entrance to the court.
LIVE outside Royal Courts of Justice in London ahead of Julian Assange's extradition appeal ruling#FreeAssangehttps://t.co/ID51ufA9Fs
— People For Assange (@people4assange) March 26, 2024
We’re half an hour away from court’s ruling
The judgement is expected to take place in about half an hour, at 10:30 GMT.
If Assange succeeds, his case will go to a full appeal. If he loses, the only remaining block to his extradition lies with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The ECHR has already dismissed two applications from him in 2015 and 2022.
Should Assange be extradited, his supporters say he could be held in a US high security jail and if convicted could face a 175-year prison sentence. US prosecutors have said it would be no more than 63 months.
Assange wanted for revelations such as ‘Collateral Murder’ video: WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks has posted on X a 2007 military video that exposed a possible US war crime.
The gun-camera footage, obtained by WikiLeaks from a whistleblower and released to the public, showed two Reuters journalists and numerous Iraqis killed by fire from a US chopper.
It became known as the Collateral Murder video as it was picked up by thousands of news organisations worldwide, sparking global outrage.
Julian Assange will find out today whether he may appeal extradition to the country that plotted to murder him – his extradition is being sought for such revelations as the #CollateralMurder gunning down of civilians including two Reuters journalists in Iraq #FreeAssangeNOW pic.twitter.com/fq5PHakk0e
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 26, 2024
Assange’s wife heading to London court
Stella Assange, the wife of the WikiLeaks founder, says she is on her way to the court.
“If Julian loses this round, it will be the end of the road of the UK courts,” she wrote on X.
I’m on my way to the Royal Courts of Justice. If Julian loses this round, it will be the end of the road of the UK courts.#FreeAssangeNOW pic.twitter.com/SfcsthWjyz
— Stella Assange #FreeAssangeNOW (@Stella_Assange) March 26, 2024
WATCH: Why does the US want Assange extradited?
Who is Julian Assange?
The computer programmer was born in Townsville, Australia, in 1971.
In 2006, he founded WikiLeaks, an internet-based service designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to share.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released a leaked video from a US helicopter showing an air strike that killed civilians in Iraq’s capital Baghdad, including two Reuters journalists. It also published more than 91,000 documents, including classified US military reports related to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
The United States maintains that he conspired to hack US government computers and violated an espionage law. He denies any wrongdoing.
Assange claimed political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in England in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced allegations of rape and sexual assault.
The 52-year-old has been held in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison since his arrest inside the embassy in 2019.
A timeline of key events
Here’s a look at the key dates in this long-running legal saga:
- 2010: In a series of posts, WikiLeaks releases almost half a million documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- August 2010: Swedish prosecutors issue an arrest warrant for Assange based on one woman’s allegation of rape and another’s allegation of molestation. The warrant is withdrawn shortly afterwards, with prosecutors citing insufficient evidence for the rape allegation. Assange denies the allegations.
- September 2010: Sweden’s director of prosecutions reopens the rape investigation. Assange leaves Sweden for Britain.
- December 2010: After Swedish police issue an international arrest warrant, Assange surrenders to police in London and is detained pending an extradition hearing. The High Court grants Assange bail.
- February 2011: The District Court in Britain rules Assange should be extradited to Sweden.
- June 2012: Assange enters the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London, seeking asylum on June 19, after his bids to appeal the extradition ruling failed. Police set up round-the-clock guard to arrest him if he steps outside.
- August 2012: Assange is granted political asylum by Ecuador.
- July 2014: Assange loses his bid to have Swedish arrest warrant cancelled. A judge in Stockholm upholds the warrant alleging sexual offences against two women.
- August 2015: Swedish prosecutors drop investigations into some allegations against Assange because of the statute of limitations; an investigation into a rape allegation remains active.
- October 2015: Metropolitan Police end their 24-hour guard outside the embassy but say they’ll arrest Assange if he leaves, ending a three-year police operation estimated to have cost millions.
- February 2016: Assange claims “total vindication” as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention finds that he has been unlawfully detained and recommends he be immediately freed and given compensation. Britain calls the finding “frankly ridiculous”.
- October 2018: Assange seeks a court injunction pressing Ecuador to provide him basic rights he said the country agreed to when it first granted him asylum.
- April 2019: Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno blames WikiLeaks for recent corruption allegations; Ecuador’s government withdraws Assange’s asylum status. London police arrest Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy for breaching bail conditions in 2012, as well as on behalf of US authorities.
- May 2019: Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for jumping bail in 2012.
- May 2019: The US government indicts Assange on 18 charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of classified documents. Prosecutors say he conspired with US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- November 2019: The Swedish prosecutor drops the rape investigation.
- June 2020: The US files a new indictment against Assange that prosecutors say underscores Assange’s efforts to procure and release classified information.
- January 2021: A British judge rules Assange cannot be extradited to the US because he is likely to kill himself if held under harsh US prison conditions.
- July 2021: The High Court grants the US government permission to appeal the lower court’s ruling blocking Assange’s extradition.
- December 2021: The High Court rules that US assurances about Assange’s detention are enough to guarantee he would be treated humanely.
- March 2022: Britain’s top court refuses to grant Assange permission to appeal against his extradition.
- June 2022: Britain’s government orders the extradition of Assange to the United States. Assange appeals.
What is WikiLeaks?
Assange created the website in 2006 as a “dead letter drop” for would-be leakers.
WikiLeaks rose to prominence in April 2010 when it published a classified video showing a 2007 US helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Baghdad.
It also released more than 90,000 classified US military documents on the war in Afghanistan, and about 400,000 secret US files on the Iraq war.
The two leaks represented the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history.
It followed these up with the release of 250,000 secret diplomatic cables from US embassies around the world, with some of the information published by newspapers such as The New York Times and Britain’s The Guardian.
The leaks angered and embarrassed US politicians and military officials, who said the unauthorised dissemination put lives at risk.
Manning, the former US Army intelligence analyst, served seven years in a military prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of messages and cables to WikiLeaks, before being released on the order of President Barack Obama.
LISTEN: What will happen to Assange if he is extradited?
Al Jazeera spoke to Assange’s wife, Stella, following the end of last month’s appeal hearings.
If he’s transferred to the US, Stella says it’s not just Julian that faces grave consequences, but journalism itself.
Listen below.
What happened during the appeal hearings?
The High Court in London heard Assange’s final bid for an appeal last month.
During the two-day hearings, Assange’s lawyers argued that he was a secrecy-busting journalist who exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They said extradition to the US would expose him to a politically motivated prosecution and risk a “flagrant denial of justice”.
The US government, however, said Assange’s actions went way beyond those of a journalist gathering information and that he put lives at risk in his bid to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents.
They said he is being prosecuted for publishing sources’ names and not his political opinions.
Assange did not attend the hearings and did not watch the proceedings because he was unwell, his lawyers and his wife Stella said.
What is Assange accused of?
Prosecutors in the US are seeking to put Assange on trial over WikiLeaks’ high-profile release of vast troves of confidential military records and diplomatic cables some 15 years ago.
These include more than 90,000 classified US military documents on the war in Afghanistan, 400,000 secret US files on the Iraq war, and about 250,000 secret diplomatic cables from US embassies around the world.
The leaks angered and embarrassed US politicians and military officials, who said the unauthorised dissemination put lives at risk.
If extradited to the US, Assange faces prosecution on 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer misuse.
Assange’s lawyers say that he could face up to 175 years in prison if convicted, though US authorities have said the sentence is likely to be much shorter.