04:33Stella Assange claimed that judges were 'not convinced' by the prosecution's attempt to 'paint lipstick on a pig', as London's High Court granted her husband the right to appeal his potential extradition to the United States on Monday.
"Today marks a turning point," she told supporters. "We went into court, and we sat and heard the arguments of the United States. From listening to their arguments, trying to paint lipstick on a pig, well the judges were not convinced."
She added that the case was 'offensive' to 'democratic principles' and asked 'how long can this go on for?'
"Our eldest son just turned seven, all of their memories of their father are in the visiting hall of Belmarsh Prison," she said. She also called on Joe Biden's administration to 'distance itself from this shameful prosecution'. The US president suggested last month that he was considering Australia's request to drop the case.
Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief, also called on the US to 'save face' by dropping the case entirely.
Journalist and supporter John Rees told the crowd while they had 'won the battle… we haven't won the war' but that 'you must take from today’s victory the confidence that even the biggest imperial power in the world can be defeated'.
"It is quite something when one of the highest courts in this country says to the American government 'we just don’t believe you'," he added.
The ruling granted the Wikileaks founder permission for a full appeal.
It came after judges called on Washington to provide 'assurances' that he would have his free speech protected under the first amendment, that his Australian nationality would not count against him and that he would not receive the death penalty.
Assange's team accepted the third assurance, with the appeal now centred on the other two grounds.
Julian Assange has been detained in London's high-security Belmarsh prison since 2019, facing extradition to the US on 18 charges related to the release of classified documents. He was granted political asylum by Ecuador in London in 2012 but was dragged from the embassy by UK police and arrested in 2019.
Judges 'not convinced' by prosecution trying to 'paint lipstick on a pig' - Stella Assange as court grants Wikileaks founder right to challenge US extradition
Stella Assange claimed that judges were 'not convinced' by the prosecution's attempt to 'paint lipstick on a pig', as London's High Court granted her husband the right to appeal his potential extradition to the United States on Monday.
"Today marks a turning point," she told supporters. "We went into court, and we sat and heard the arguments of the United States. From listening to their arguments, trying to paint lipstick on a pig, well the judges were not convinced."
She added that the case was 'offensive' to 'democratic principles' and asked 'how long can this go on for?'
"Our eldest son just turned seven, all of their memories of their father are in the visiting hall of Belmarsh Prison," she said. She also called on Joe Biden's administration to 'distance itself from this shameful prosecution'. The US president suggested last month that he was considering Australia's request to drop the case.
Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief, also called on the US to 'save face' by dropping the case entirely.
Journalist and supporter John Rees told the crowd while they had 'won the battle… we haven't won the war' but that 'you must take from today’s victory the confidence that even the biggest imperial power in the world can be defeated'.
"It is quite something when one of the highest courts in this country says to the American government 'we just don’t believe you'," he added.
The ruling granted the Wikileaks founder permission for a full appeal.
It came after judges called on Washington to provide 'assurances' that he would have his free speech protected under the first amendment, that his Australian nationality would not count against him and that he would not receive the death penalty.
Assange's team accepted the third assurance, with the appeal now centred on the other two grounds.
Julian Assange has been detained in London's high-security Belmarsh prison since 2019, facing extradition to the US on 18 charges related to the release of classified documents. He was granted political asylum by Ecuador in London in 2012 but was dragged from the embassy by UK police and arrested in 2019.
Stella Assange claimed that judges were 'not convinced' by the prosecution's attempt to 'paint lipstick on a pig', as London's High Court granted her husband the right to appeal his potential extradition to the United States on Monday.
"Today marks a turning point," she told supporters. "We went into court, and we sat and heard the arguments of the United States. From listening to their arguments, trying to paint lipstick on a pig, well the judges were not convinced."
She added that the case was 'offensive' to 'democratic principles' and asked 'how long can this go on for?'
"Our eldest son just turned seven, all of their memories of their father are in the visiting hall of Belmarsh Prison," she said. She also called on Joe Biden's administration to 'distance itself from this shameful prosecution'. The US president suggested last month that he was considering Australia's request to drop the case.
Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief, also called on the US to 'save face' by dropping the case entirely.
Journalist and supporter John Rees told the crowd while they had 'won the battle… we haven't won the war' but that 'you must take from today’s victory the confidence that even the biggest imperial power in the world can be defeated'.
"It is quite something when one of the highest courts in this country says to the American government 'we just don’t believe you'," he added.
The ruling granted the Wikileaks founder permission for a full appeal.
It came after judges called on Washington to provide 'assurances' that he would have his free speech protected under the first amendment, that his Australian nationality would not count against him and that he would not receive the death penalty.
Assange's team accepted the third assurance, with the appeal now centred on the other two grounds.
Julian Assange has been detained in London's high-security Belmarsh prison since 2019, facing extradition to the US on 18 charges related to the release of classified documents. He was granted political asylum by Ecuador in London in 2012 but was dragged from the embassy by UK police and arrested in 2019.