04:05Stella Assange, wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, described the London High Court's move to postpone her husband's extradition hearing pending 'assurances' from the US government as 'astounding', as media and supporters gathered for the verdict on Tuesday.
"Today's decision is astounding," she told them. "The courts recognise that Julian exposed a flagrant denial of his freedom of expression rights, that he is being discriminated against on the basis of his nationality, Australian, and that he remains exposed to the death penalty. And yet, what the courts have done have been to invite a political intervention from the United States to send a letter saying 'it's all ok'."
The court's decision was announced following a two-day hearing last month, as his legal team sought leave to appeal the US extradition.
"Five years into this case, the United States has managed to show the court that their case remains an attack on press freedom, an attack on Julian's life," she continued. "What the courts haven't agreed to look at is the evidence the United States has plotted to assassinate Julian, to kidnap him, because if it acknowledges that then of course, he can't be sent to the United States.
Allegations made in a 2021 media report that the CIA had plotted to kill or kidnap Assange. The CIA did not comment at the time, while Assange's team attempted to highlight the 'real risk of further extrajudicial actions' during the latest court hearings.
"Julian is a political prisoner, he is a journalist, and he is being persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war, in human lives." Stella continued. "This case is a retribution, it is a signal to all of you that if you expose the interests that are driving war, they will come after you, they will put you in prison, and they will try to kill you."
She also called on the Biden government not to provide the 'assurances' but to drop the case entirely.
"The Biden administration should not issue assurances, they should drop this shameful case that should never have been brought," she said. "Julian should never have been imprisoned for a single day. This is a shame on every democracy… I ask everyone to rally behind him and call for his freedom, call for the Biden administration to drop the case."
Under the latest ruling, the court decided that the hearing would be adjourned until May 20, allowing the publisher to amend his grounds of appeal and pending a number of 'assurances' required from the US and UK governments.
The US government would need to provide certain guarantees that any extradition would not contravene freedom of expression, wouldn't involved any prejudice during a trial regarding Assange's nationality and would not mean the death penalty in the case of conviction.
Six other grounds for appeal were rejected. If no assurances are provided, Assange's team would be allowed to appeal, while if they are, both sides could file further submissions ahead of the next hearing.
Julian is currently in Belmarsh prison, where he has been held since being dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested in April 2019. The extradition was approved in 2022 by then-home secretary Priti Patel. He is wanted by US authorities on 18 charges, following the release of thousands of military and diplomatic documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
'Decision is astounding!' - Assange's wife says Wikileaks founder 'political prisoner', calls on US to drop 'shameful case' as court postpones extradition hearing
Stella Assange, wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, described the London High Court's move to postpone her husband's extradition hearing pending 'assurances' from the US government as 'astounding', as media and supporters gathered for the verdict on Tuesday.
"Today's decision is astounding," she told them. "The courts recognise that Julian exposed a flagrant denial of his freedom of expression rights, that he is being discriminated against on the basis of his nationality, Australian, and that he remains exposed to the death penalty. And yet, what the courts have done have been to invite a political intervention from the United States to send a letter saying 'it's all ok'."
The court's decision was announced following a two-day hearing last month, as his legal team sought leave to appeal the US extradition.
"Five years into this case, the United States has managed to show the court that their case remains an attack on press freedom, an attack on Julian's life," she continued. "What the courts haven't agreed to look at is the evidence the United States has plotted to assassinate Julian, to kidnap him, because if it acknowledges that then of course, he can't be sent to the United States.
Allegations made in a 2021 media report that the CIA had plotted to kill or kidnap Assange. The CIA did not comment at the time, while Assange's team attempted to highlight the 'real risk of further extrajudicial actions' during the latest court hearings.
"Julian is a political prisoner, he is a journalist, and he is being persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war, in human lives." Stella continued. "This case is a retribution, it is a signal to all of you that if you expose the interests that are driving war, they will come after you, they will put you in prison, and they will try to kill you."
She also called on the Biden government not to provide the 'assurances' but to drop the case entirely.
"The Biden administration should not issue assurances, they should drop this shameful case that should never have been brought," she said. "Julian should never have been imprisoned for a single day. This is a shame on every democracy… I ask everyone to rally behind him and call for his freedom, call for the Biden administration to drop the case."
Under the latest ruling, the court decided that the hearing would be adjourned until May 20, allowing the publisher to amend his grounds of appeal and pending a number of 'assurances' required from the US and UK governments.
The US government would need to provide certain guarantees that any extradition would not contravene freedom of expression, wouldn't involved any prejudice during a trial regarding Assange's nationality and would not mean the death penalty in the case of conviction.
Six other grounds for appeal were rejected. If no assurances are provided, Assange's team would be allowed to appeal, while if they are, both sides could file further submissions ahead of the next hearing.
Julian is currently in Belmarsh prison, where he has been held since being dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested in April 2019. The extradition was approved in 2022 by then-home secretary Priti Patel. He is wanted by US authorities on 18 charges, following the release of thousands of military and diplomatic documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Stella Assange, wife of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, described the London High Court's move to postpone her husband's extradition hearing pending 'assurances' from the US government as 'astounding', as media and supporters gathered for the verdict on Tuesday.
"Today's decision is astounding," she told them. "The courts recognise that Julian exposed a flagrant denial of his freedom of expression rights, that he is being discriminated against on the basis of his nationality, Australian, and that he remains exposed to the death penalty. And yet, what the courts have done have been to invite a political intervention from the United States to send a letter saying 'it's all ok'."
The court's decision was announced following a two-day hearing last month, as his legal team sought leave to appeal the US extradition.
"Five years into this case, the United States has managed to show the court that their case remains an attack on press freedom, an attack on Julian's life," she continued. "What the courts haven't agreed to look at is the evidence the United States has plotted to assassinate Julian, to kidnap him, because if it acknowledges that then of course, he can't be sent to the United States.
Allegations made in a 2021 media report that the CIA had plotted to kill or kidnap Assange. The CIA did not comment at the time, while Assange's team attempted to highlight the 'real risk of further extrajudicial actions' during the latest court hearings.
"Julian is a political prisoner, he is a journalist, and he is being persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war, in human lives." Stella continued. "This case is a retribution, it is a signal to all of you that if you expose the interests that are driving war, they will come after you, they will put you in prison, and they will try to kill you."
She also called on the Biden government not to provide the 'assurances' but to drop the case entirely.
"The Biden administration should not issue assurances, they should drop this shameful case that should never have been brought," she said. "Julian should never have been imprisoned for a single day. This is a shame on every democracy… I ask everyone to rally behind him and call for his freedom, call for the Biden administration to drop the case."
Under the latest ruling, the court decided that the hearing would be adjourned until May 20, allowing the publisher to amend his grounds of appeal and pending a number of 'assurances' required from the US and UK governments.
The US government would need to provide certain guarantees that any extradition would not contravene freedom of expression, wouldn't involved any prejudice during a trial regarding Assange's nationality and would not mean the death penalty in the case of conviction.
Six other grounds for appeal were rejected. If no assurances are provided, Assange's team would be allowed to appeal, while if they are, both sides could file further submissions ahead of the next hearing.
Julian is currently in Belmarsh prison, where he has been held since being dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested in April 2019. The extradition was approved in 2022 by then-home secretary Priti Patel. He is wanted by US authorities on 18 charges, following the release of thousands of military and diplomatic documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.