Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, faces charges in the US due to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified US documents. He could go on trial on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse. Assange is accused of helping US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified information, including over 250,000 US diplomatic cables, which were published by WikiLeaks.
In 2010, Assange was issued an arrest warrant for sexual assault in Sweden. The UK ruled on extradition to Sweden. However, he claimed political asylum and holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012. He left the embassy in 2019 and was arrested in the UK. He is currently in Belmarsh prison in London, where he was awaiting the results of the extradition case.
On Friday, the British government ordered his extradition to the US. The ruling over Assange’s extradition went all the way up to the UK Supreme Court.
WikiLeaks has 14 days to challenge the order with an appeal.
Assange’s lawyers say that as a journalist, he is entitled to the First Amendment’s freedom of speech protection. Assange exposed the US military’s alleged corruption in Iraq and Afghanistan. His lawyers believe he will not be treated fairly in the US and could face life imprisonment and harsh treatment, that some fear would lead to suicide.