Julian Assange’s Fate Hangs in Balance as Final U.S. Extradition Hearing Looms in London

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s fight to avoid facing spying charges in the United States may be nearing an end following a protracted legal saga in the U.K. that included seven years of self-exile inside a foreign embassy and five years in prison. Assange faces what could be his final court hearing in London starting Tuesday as he tries to stop his extradition to the U.S. The High Court has scheduled two days of arguments over whether Assange can ask an appeals court to block his transfer. If the court doesn’t allow the appeal to go forward, he could be sent across the Atlantic. Assange, an Australian computer expert, has been indicted in the U.S. on 18 charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010. Among the files published by WikiLeaks were video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. Prosecutors say he conspired with U.S. army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange and his supporters argue he acted as a journalist to expose U.S. military wrongdoing and is protected under press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Assange’s wife has voiced concerns about his deteriorating health during his time in custody, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The decision on his extradition could have significant implications for his well-being and future. The outcome of the hearing this week in London will play a crucial role in determining whether Assange will face the espionage charges in the U.S. or continue to fight his case through the legal system.