UK Court Paves Way For WikiLeaks Chief Julian Assange's Extradition To U.S.

On Friday, British Home Secretary Priti Patel approved Julian Assange's extradition to the United States. Assange, who is facing 18 espionage-related charges in the United States, has fought tooth and nail to avoid being extradited across the Atlantic, Clyde Hughes reported for United Press International (UPI).

Photo Insert: In 2010, Assange was granted an arrest warrant in Sweden for two distinct sexual assault charges, and Britain decided that he should be extradited to Sweden.

After being protected for years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, he has spent the last three years in London's Belmarsh prison.

The Secretary of State must sign an extradition order if there are no grounds to prevent the order from being made, the British Home Office stated in a statement. The extradition of Julian Assange to the United States was ordered on June 17th, following consideration by both the Magistrates Court and the High Court.

Mr. Assange retains his right to appeal for 14 days. The UK courts have determined that extraditing Assange would not be repressive, unfair, or an abuse of process in this case.

In March, a three-judge panel of Britain's Supreme Court found that Assange's appeal of a December High Court decision authorizing his extradition to the United States did not "present an arguable issue of law," setting the stage for Friday's verdict.

WikiLeaks issued a statement vowing to oppose the extradition.

According to The Guardian, WikiLeaks stated, "Today is not the end of the fight. It is only the beginning of a new legal battle. We will appeal through the legal system; the next appeal will be before the high court. Julian did nothing wrong. He has committed no crime and is not a criminal. He is a journalist and a publisher and he is being punished for doing his job."

The extradition is linked to a series of leaks by former US Army soldier Chelsea Manning, as well as more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables comprising sensitive diplomatic assessments from global leaders, published by Wikileaks in 2010.

In 2010, Assange was granted an arrest warrant in Sweden for two distinct sexual assault charges, and Britain decided that he should be extradited to Sweden. In 2012, Assange sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, claiming political asylum. In the aftermath of the 2010 cable leak, he was charged in the United States.

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