Assange Reportedly Appeals to ECHR to Challenge Extradition to US
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange supporters hold placards as they gather outside Westminster Magistrates court In London, Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to challenge his extradition from the UK to the US, American media reported, citing a court statement.”We confirm that an application has been received,” the statement cited by the media said.Earlier, a group of five major media outlets from around the world released an open letter on Monday calling upon the US government to end its prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The letter noted that obtaining and disclosing sensitive information when necessary in the public interest is a core part of journalists’ work, and if criminalized, would make discourse and democracy weaker.Assange was apprehended in London in April 2019 on a US arrest warrant, facing extradition and a sentence of up to 175 years in a maximum security prison if convicted. Assange has been held for three and a half years in a high security prison in the UK, typically used for terrorists and members of organized crime groups.In August, Assange appealed the UK’s decision to extradite him, sparking a legal dispute that could delay his extradition for months.
