Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Julian Assange’s extradition battle: What you need to know

Julian Assange’s extradition battle: What you need to know

A British High Court has ruled that Julian Assange can be extradited to the US to face espionage charges. Here’s how the WikiLeaks co-founder ended up behind bars and what could come next.

Assange was placed in London’s Belmarsh Prison in 2019 after nearly seven years of hiding inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in the UK capital.

Who is Julian Assange?


Australian-born Assange co-founded WikiLeaks, a group that publishes classified materials “involving war, spying and corruption,” according to its website.

WikiLeaks famously released a video of US military choppers gunning down civilians in Baghdad in 2007, among other things. The organization also released confidential correspondence between US diplomatic missions around the world, causing further embarrassment for Washington.

Why does Washington want Assange extradited?


The US Department of Justice charged Assange with espionage in 2019, over his role in “one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States.”

According to the indictment, WikiLeaks illegally obtained roughly 90,000 Afghanistan war reports, 400,000 Iraq war reports, 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessment briefs, and 250,000 US Department of State diplomatic cables.

How did Assange end up in British jail?


The journalist first got into trouble after a rape investigation was opened against him in Sweden. Fearing extradition, Assange jumped bail and hid in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012, where he requested asylum. The rape case against him was eventually dropped.

Assange was ejected from the embassy in 2019 after Ecuador accused him of violating asylum terms. He was immediately arrested by British police and sentenced later that year to 50 weeks in jail for skipping bail.

In January, a London court refused to hand Assange over to the US, citing health concerns. “I find that the mental condition of Mr Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America,” judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled at the time.

The US appealed the decision and won. Ruling in favor of extradition on Friday, Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett said that Washington provided additional assurances that reduce the risk of Assange committing suicide behind bars. “That risk is in our judgment excluded by the assurances which are offered,” Burnett said.

What’s next for Assange?


Assange’s fiancée, Stella Moris, said his legal team will appeal the decision “at the earliest possible moment.” If the appeal gets thrown out, it will ultimately be for the British government to decide whether to extradite Assange.

In the US, the WikiLeaks co-founder could face up to 175 years in jail, if found guilty on all charges, according to his legal team. Assange’s supporters, family and loved ones repeatedly warned that his health had deteriorated significantly over the years he had spent in confinement.

In 2019, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Nils Melzer, whose team visited Assange in Belmarsh, said that he showed “all the symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
×