High Court Judges Approve Assange's Appeal Against Extradition to US
Assange Faces Espionage Charges in US
Full Appeal to Be Heard
Two High Court judges have ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal against his extradition to the US. Assange, 52, is wanted in the US on 18 charges, nearly all under the Espionage Act, for his role in publishing classified military and diplomatic documents through WikiLeaks. The US Department of Justice alleges that Assange's actions endangered national security by exposing sensitive information to adversaries.
Assange has always denied wrongdoing, arguing that he was acting as a journalist and that the publication of the leaked documents was in the public interest. Swedish prosecutors eventually dropped their own investigation into sexual assault allegations against Assange, but the US government is now seeking his extradition to face trial on the espionage charges.
The High Court's decision to allow Assange's appeal is a significant development in the case. It means that the full court will now hear arguments from both sides before making a final decision on whether Assange should be extradited to the US. The appeal is expected to take several months, with a decision likely to be made later this year.
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