Julian Assange’s lawyers have accused the US of “state retaliation” in its attempt to prosecute the Wikileaks founder. Assange has been held in a UK prison since 2019 and is wanted by the US for revealing secret military files in 2010 and 2011. His legal team argued during a two-day High Court hearing that it would be against UK law to extradite him. Assange’s lawyers, Edward Fitzgerald KC and Mark Summers KC, claimed that the US’s prosecution bid was “politically motivated” and that their client is at risk of further extrajudicial actions by the CIA or other agencies. They also alleged that the CIA plotted to kill Assange during his seven-year stay in Ecuador’s London embassy. The lawyers are seeking permission to challenge the extradition order signed by UK home secretary Priti Patel in 2022. If unsuccessful, Assange could be extradited within 28 days unless he can convince the European Court of Human Rights to temporarily halt the process.
Not for human consumption
