iTWire - WikiLeaks founder's fate will be known in just 11 days
Thursday, 09 May 2024 10:33

WikiLeaks founder's fate will be known in just 11 days Featured

By
WikiLeaks founder's fate will be known in just 11 days Pixabay

In just 11 days, a British court will decide whether to extradite WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange to the US where he will face trial on espionage charges.

The Australian came up before the British High Court in a two-day hearing on 20 and 21 March but was too ill to even appear physically before the court.

At the end of those two days of hearings, the High Court decided the US must give assurances that Assange will not face the death penalty if he is extradited.

It gave Washington until mid-April to provide such an assurance before it made a final decision on whether Assange could launch an appeal against his extradition.

Additionally, the High Court also sought assurances as to whether Assange would be able to rely on free speech rights during any hearing in the US.

The US provided these assurances on 16 April, but there was a catch in what it said: while Assange would be able to "seek to rely" upon the US Constitution's provisions for free speech, "a decision as to the applicability of the first amendment is exclusively within the purview of the US courts".

This means lawyers from both sides will be back at the High Court on 20 May before a decision is taken as to whether the Australian can appeal against his extradition..

Assange is still locked up in the maximum security Belmarsh Prison where he has spent the last 1854 days.

The Australian's supporters said in a statement they were calling for his backers to assemble outside the court from 8.30am London time (11.30pm AEST) on 20 May.

"Should the court allow Julian's extradition the only possibly bar to immediate extradition would be the European Court of Human Rights – although it is by no means certain that the court would intervene," the statement said.

The statement noted that the decision would be announced in the shadow of World Press Freedom day, which was marked last week. "On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Amnesty International warned 'If Julian Assange is extradited to the US for publishing sensitive material leaked by others, the message to journalists and publishers everywhere is simple: you are not safe'," the statement added.

It said the Australian "Bring Julian Assange Home" bipartisan parliamentary group had written directly to US President Joe Biden saying, "On World Press Freedom Day, we write as a group of Australian Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum seeking the freedom of Julian Assange.

"We write in the hope that Mr Assange, who has endured maximum security imprisonment in the UK's Belmarsh Prison for more than five years without conviction on any substantial charge, can go free, can go home, can be reunited with his wife, children, and family."

The statement pointed out that while the case was important in terms of press freedom and holding governments to account and more, it was also an ongoing personal tragedy.

"Julian has been detained in one form or another for over 13 years, the last five at the maximum security Belmarsh prison," it noted. "Sharing a BBC World Service panel with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe last week Stella Assange spoke of the terrible impact Julian's continued unjust imprisonment has had on their two young children, Gabriel and Max, and the toll it was taking on them all, as the two women spoke about their shared experiences on unjust imprisonment."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been silent about the case after 11 April when he leapt upon a throwaway remark from Biden about freedom for the WikiLeaks founder.

Biden was asked about Assange during an official visit to the US by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and offered an off-hand reply: "We're considering it."

Those three words appeared to have been manna from heaven for Albanese who has been reticent to make a forthright statement on the detention of an Australian citizen in the UK after America sought his extradition on espionage charges.

Albanese was quick to tell a TV interviewer that day after Biden's muttered comment: "This is an encouraging comment from President Biden. Enough is enough, there’s nothing to be gained by Mr Assange’s continued incarceration.”

Read 1179 times

Please join our community here and become a VIP.

Subscribe to ITWIRE UPDATE Newsletter here
JOIN our iTWireTV our YouTube Community here
BACK TO LATEST NEWS here




IDC WHITE PAPER: The Business Value of Aiven Data Cloud Solutions

According to IDC, Aiven enables your teams to perform more efficiently, reduce direct infrastructure costs, and provide improved database performance, agility and scalability.

Find out how Aiven makes teams 48% more efficient, allowing staff to focus on high-value activities that drive real business results:

340% 3-year ROI – break even in 5 months (average)

37% lower 3-year cost of operations

78% reduction in staff time for database deployments


Download the IDC White Paper now

DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER!

PROMOTE YOUR WEBINAR ON ITWIRE

It's all about Webinars.

Marketing budgets are now focused on Webinars combined with Lead Generation.

If you wish to promote a Webinar we recommend at least a 3 to 4 week campaign prior to your event.

The iTWire campaign will include extensive adverts on our News Site itwire.com and prominent Newsletter promotion https://itwire.com/itwire-update.html and Promotional News & Editorial. Plus a video interview of the key speaker on iTWire TV https://www.youtube.com/c/iTWireTV/videos which will be used in Promotional Posts on the iTWire Home Page.

Now we are coming out of Lockdown iTWire will be focussed to assisting with your webinars and campaigns and assistance via part payments and extended terms, a Webinar Business Booster Pack and other supportive programs. We can also create your adverts and written content plus coordinate your video interview.

We look forward to discussing your campaign goals with you. Please click the button below.

MORE INFO HERE!

BACK TO HOME PAGE
Sam Varghese

Sam Varghese has been writing for iTWire since 2006, a year after the site came into existence. For nearly a decade thereafter, he wrote mostly about free and open source software, based on his own use of this genre of software. Since May 2016, he has been writing across many areas of technology. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years in India (Indian Express and Deccan Herald), the UAE (Khaleej Times) and Australia (Daily Commercial News (now defunct) and The Age). His personal blog is titled Irregular Expression.

Share News tips for the iTWire Journalists? Your tip will be anonymous

Subscribe to Newsletter

*  Enter the security code shown:

WEBINARS & EVENTS

CYBERSECURITY

PEOPLE MOVES

GUEST ARTICLES

Guest Opinion

ITWIRETV & INTERVIEWS

RESEARCH & CASE STUDIES

Channel News

Comments