WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange to Wait Until May 20 for Extradition Decision
Assange Faces Extradition to U.S.
Charges Stem from WikiLeaks' Release of Classified Documents
London, UK - Julian Assange, the founder of the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, will have to wait until May 20, 2023, to find out whether he will be extradited to the United States. Assange is currently challenging an extradition order issued by a UK court in 2021. The US government has charged Assange with 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer hacking for his role in WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents in 2010 and 2011. The documents, which were leaked to WikiLeaks by US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, included sensitive information about the US military's operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Assange's lawyers have argued that the extradition order is politically motivated and that he faces a risk of a fair trial in the United States. They have also raised concerns about his mental health and physical well-being, which they say have deteriorated during his time in prison in the UK. The May 20 hearing will be the next step in the ongoing legal battle over Assange's extradition. The judge will consider the arguments of both sides before issuing a final decision. If Assange is extradited to the United States, he could face a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
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