UK Court Says Assange Stays Until U.S. Rules Out Death Penalty For Him

A British court has ruled that Julian Assange can’t be extradited to the US on espionage charges unless US authorities guarantee he won’t face the death penalty.

Two High Court judges stated they would grant Assange a new appeal unless US authorities provide further assurances within three weeks regarding his treatment. I Photo: David G Silvers. Cancillería del Ecuador Wikimedia Commons

This decision marks a partial victory for the WikiLeaks founder in his protracted legal battle over the site’s publication of classified US documents, as reported by Sylvia Hui and Jill Lawless for the Associated Press (AP).

Two High Court judges stated they would grant Assange a new appeal unless US authorities provide further assurances within three weeks regarding his treatment.

Consequently, the legal saga, spanning over a decade, will continue, with Assange remaining inside London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, where he has spent the last five years.

Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson emphasized that the US must ensure Assange, an Australian citizen, “is afforded the same First Amendment protections as a US citizen, and that the death penalty is not imposed.”

They also stated that if the US presents new assurances, “we will give the parties an opportunity to make further submissions before we make a final decision on the application for leave to appeal.”

A hearing is scheduled for May 20 if the US submits those assurances, according to Brian Melley and Eric Tucker's report for AP.

WEEKLY FEATURE : Jose Mari Chan And The Christmas Anthem