UK Supreme Court rejects Assange extradition appeal

LONDON

Britain’s Supreme Court on Monday denied an appeal to a High Court decision to extradite Julian Assange to the United States.

The Supreme Court declined Assange’s appeal on the basis that it did not raise “an arguable point of law.”

Assange is wanted by the US authorities for alleged conspiracy after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including evidence of possible war crimes.

US authorities last December won their High Court challenge of a previous ruling that Assange should not be extradited due to a real and “oppressive” risk of suicide.

If he is extradited to the US, Assange will face 18 counts of hacking US government computers and violating the espionage law and a potential years-long prison sentence.

Last year he was dragged out of Ecuador’s Embassy building in London, where he had taken refuge for more than seven years.

The British police said he was arrested for skipping his bail in 2012 and on behalf of the US due to an extradition warrant.

Stella Morris, Assange’s partner, tweeted that the extradition decision is now in the hands of UK Home Secretary Priti Patel.