By Adi Robertson, The Verge
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has approved an American request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Patel signed the order on June 17th, bringing Assange one step closer to facing espionage charges in the US.
Assange’s legal counsel plans to appeal the decision before the UK’s High Court. “This is a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy,” WikiLeaks said in a statement. “Julian did nothing wrong.”

Patel’s approval follows a series of legal losses for Assange. In December, the UK’s High Court approved Assange’s extradition, concluding that US authorities had credibly promised humane treatment in the American prison system. He was later refused an appeal by the UK Supreme Court, leaving a judge to refer the final decision to Patel. In the US, Assange would face 17 counts of violating espionage law and one count of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, stemming from his work with whistleblower Chelsea Manning to publish classified American military documents. The claims carry a theoretical maximum of 175 years in prison, but the US government has indicated it’s seeking a far shorter sentence.
Recent Posts
Democrats Are Too Paralyzed To Take Action On Abortion Rights
July 6, 2022
Take Action Now For months, the Democratic Party leadership knew the Supreme Court was preparing to gut Roe v. Wade. When it happened, they…
Corporate Media Keeps Helping Big Oil Whitewash Its Image
July 6, 2022
Take Action Now Even now, when scientists say we’ve done irreversible damage to our planet, corporate and legacy news outlets won’t give up…
Shireen Abu Akleh’s Murder Not “Intentional,” Claims State Department
July 5, 2022
Take Action Now “The odds that those responsible for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh will be held to account are all but…
Joe Biden Is Faltering Amid The Biggest Challenges Of His Presidency
July 5, 2022
Take Action Now Joe Biden is not up to the task at hand By Eoin Higgins, The Flashpoint During the 2020 Democratic primary,…