This file photo taken on July 26, 2010 shows Australian founder of whistleblowing website, WikiLeaks, Julian Assange after giving a press conference in London. (Photo by AFP)
The founder of whistleblower website WikiLeaks Julian Assange is awaiting a verdict by a judge at Londons Old Bailey on whether Britain will eventually extradite the Australian journalist to the United States for trial.
On Monday, Judge Vanessa Baraitser is to decide if the WikiLeaks founder will be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges for publishing secret US military documents.
The 49-year-old internet activist has been accused of releasing the US governments confidential military and diplomatic records containing logs on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Assange, who is currently being held at the maximum-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London, faces a hefty prison sentence of up to 40 years if he is extradited to the United States.
Whatever the verdict, the losing side will likely appeal to Londons High Court and the case could go to the UK Supreme Court.
Assange had been seeking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, but was finally removed from the embassy in April 2019. He was then jailed for skipping UK bail.
The prison conditions, which he has been subjected to, have prompted condemnation from rights organizations such as Amnesty International.
Rights groups fear if Assange, already suffering from ill health, is extradited to the US, he could face harsher treatment in a prison there, such as extreme isolation, which the groups said would amount to torture.
The previous US administration led by Barack Obama refused to prosecute Assange, fearing it may leave US news outlets such as the New York Times vulnerable as well who, together with WikiLeaks, also published the leaked documents.
Assanges lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, says his clients case has been "politicized" by the current US administration.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/21749
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