UK government upholds Julian Assange extradition request

The new Labor government has been called out for abandoning Australian Julian Assange, with family of the WikiLeaks founder vowing to fight on after a major setback.

The family of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has vowed to appeal the British government’s approval of extradition to the United States on espionage charges over publication of secret files relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

“This should shock and concern everyone, every citizen, every journalist, every editor, every media organisation,” said lawyer Jennifer robinson.

“We continue to call on the Australian government to take action and to protect this Australian citizen, who is at risk.”

"This should shock and concern everyone..this decision is a grave threat to freedom of speech, not just for Julian but for every journalist and editor and media worker in this country" Assange lawyer @suigenerisjen#FreeAssangeNOWpic.twitter.com/Ws4lNsvkT3

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 17, 2022

Mr Assange faces 175 years in prison for publishing award-winning journalism exposing atrocities of the two wars, Ms Robinson said.

Wife Stella Moris said at a press conference they would use every avenue of appeal, including the European Court of Human Rights.

“We’re not at the end of the road here. We’re going to fight this,” she said.

Stella Moris, Julian Assange's wife listens as she attends a press conference with Tim Dawson, executive member of the National Union of Journalists (L) and Jen Robinson, Assange's legal advisor

Julian Assange’s father John Shipton and brother Gabriel Shipton respond to the decision from UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to extradite Assange to the United States. Picture: AFP.

Home Secretary Priti Patel’s interior ministry said Assange had 14 days to appeal the decision, which comes after a UK court issued a formal order clearing his removal.

Assange’s supporters have held frequent rallies to protest the planned deportation.

His wife, Stella Moris, has pleaded for his release from custody after they had two children in secret while the 50-year-old campaigner was holed up for years in Ecuador’s London embassy.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on the balcony of the Embassy of Ecuador in London in 2017. Picture: AFP

WikiLeaks called Patel’s decision a “dark day for press freedom and for British democracy” and vowed to pursue the appeal to the High Court, accusing the United States of having “plotted his assassination”.“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 group said in a statement.

WikiLeaks said the case was “political”, as Assange published evidence that the United States “committed war crimes and covered them up”.

The extradition was an attempt to “try to disappear him into the darkest recesses of their prison system for the rest of his life to deter others from holding governments to account”.

Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange attend a small protest near the State opera in Vienna on June 8. Picture: AFP

A Home Office spokesperson said there were no grounds for Patel to block the order.

“In this case, the UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange,” the spokesperson said.

“Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that while in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health.”

Assange has become a cause celebre for media freedom, with his supporters accusing Washington of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns.

John Shipton (L), father of Julian Assange, walks with his son's partner Stella Moris (C) as they leave from Belmarsh Prison in London where she married Assange. Picture: AFP

He is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010, and could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, although the exact sentence is difficult to estimate.

He has been held on remand at a top-security jail in southeast London since 2019 for jumping bail in a previous case accusing him of sexual assault in Sweden.

That case was dropped but he was not released from prison after serving time for breaching bail on the grounds he was a flight risk in the US extradition case.

Assange, who married in jail in March, spent seven years at Ecuador’s embassy in London to avoid being removed to Sweden.

He was arrested when the government changed in Quito and his diplomatic protection was removed.