Though WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hasn't made the news for some time, that changed this week as he nears the possibility of being extradited back to the United States.
According to the Associated Press, a legal drama playing out in the U.K. High Court this week could result in his extradition back to a country that many believe he won't survive.
There are many reasons Assange's family would rather him not be returned to the United States, including reports in 2022 in which his brother claimed that there was a CIA plot to assassinate him.
This week, Assange is in court for two days of hearings as he once again fights extradition.
Assange faces a total of 18 charges in the United States "over Wikileaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010."
Prosecutors in charge of the case allege he conspired with U.S. army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack Pentagon servers and release thousands of diplomatic cables and other sensitive items regarding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The AP noted:
He faces 17 counts of espionage and one charge of computer misuse. If convicted, his lawyers say he could receive a prison term of up to 175 years, though American authorities have said any sentence is likely to be much lower.
His defenders argue that Assange was working within a journalist-protected capacity, which would mean his First Amendment rights were protected and that he shouldn't face prosecution for sharing evidence of so-called "war crimes" committed by the U.S. government. His wife, lawyer Stella Assange, has repeatedly argued that.
"Julian has been indicted for receiving, possessing and communicating information to the public of evidence of war crimes committed by the U.S. government,” Stella Assange said. "Reporting a crime is never a crime."
Many, including law professors and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have called for Assange to be pardoned and released from custody.
BREAKING: Over 35 law professors have contacted the DOJ in a letter requesting the release of Julian Assange.
“We respectfully urge you to uphold the First Amendment and drop all Espionage Act charges against Julian Assange.” pic.twitter.com/0lr2iPkK0z
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 19, 2024
RFK Jr. started a petition calling for Assange's pardon.
"Please SIGN THIS PETITION for the immediate pardon and release of Julian Assange, the publisher and activist who founded WikiLeaks and is now in jail facing life imprisonment and extradition. He’s a heroic whistleblower who stood up for democracy and against the surveillance state. It’s time we stood up for Julian Assange the way he stood up for us," the presidential candidate wrote this week on X.
Only time will tell if Assange is able to win another appeal that would block his extradition. His family and friends are concerned that he won't survive long in the U.S.
