Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

El juicio de extradición de Assange a Estados Unidos se reanudó en Londres

Assange's extradition trial to the United States resumed in London

A London court resumed the trial on Monday to decide whether the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange , should be extradited to the United States, which wants to try him for espionage in a case that his defenders denounce as key to press freedom.

Dressed in a dark suit and a maroon tie, Assange confirmed his identity at the beginning of the hearing and formally declared that he rejected extradition. It was his first public appearance since February, when a first week of hearings were held before the case was postponed.



The Australian, 49, was due to return to court in April but the process was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The hearings are now expected to last three to four weeks and be marked by protests.

The United States charges him with espionage for releasing more than 700,000 classified documents on US military and diplomatic activities in 2010, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan, which revealed acts of torture, civilian deaths and other abuses.

In recent weeks, the United States has presented new evidence against the WikiLeaks founder, accusing him in particular of having hired hackers.

Held in a high-security London prison since his arrest in April 2019 at the Ecuadorian embassy, ​​where he lived for seven years, Assange could face 175 years in prison if found guilty by US justice.

But for his supporting committee, they are "politically motivated charges" that "represent an unprecedented attack on press freedom."

Before ruling, the English courts must ensure that the United States' request is not disproportionate or incompatible with human rights.

His lawyers have tried to have the new accusations dropped from the proceedings, arguing that he had not had time to prepare, since communication with his client has been difficult due to restrictions related to the pandemic.

What happens is abnormal and liable to create an injustice, denounced his lawyer Mark Summers.

However, they managed to convince Judge Vanessa Baraitser to be analyzed "during the examination of the extradition request and not before."

Several dozen people, including British designer Vivienne Westwood, demonstrated outside the courthouse on Monday with banners reading "Imprison War Criminals, Free Julian Assange!"

"The future of journalism is at stake," said WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, while Assange's father, John Shipton, denounced an "abusive trial."

Assange's partner, Stella Moris, who says she fears that Assange will take his own life, delivered a petition with 800,000 signatures against his extradition to the British prime minister's office.

Allowing the extradition of Julian Assange on this basis would have a chilling effect on freedom of the press and ultimately could hamper the work of the press as a provider of information and public guardian in democratic societies, warned the Council of Europe.

United States defends that Assange is not a journalist but a "hacker" and claims that he helped intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal these secret documents before exposing the material to the eyes of the world.

US also accuse him of having conspired with members of the hacker groups LulzSec and Anonymous and of having had unauthorized access to a government computer system of a NATO country.

Assange's lawyers have been warning for months about the fragile physical and mental state of the Australian, who in previous appearances appeared confused and with difficulties to express himself or was simply absent due to health problems.

In the February hearings they assured that US President Donald Trump had promised to forgive him, if he denied that some emails published by WikiLeaks and that contributed to the defeat of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential elections had been leaked by Russia.

The White House has denied this accusation.

According to the Australian's defense, Trump wants to make an example case of Assange in his "war against investigative journalists" and Assange would not have a fair trial in the United States.

"The political persecution is evident," said former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, who coordinates his team of lawyers internationally, on the sidelines of the February hearings.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×