ISLAMABAD, April 21 ( Alliance News): A British court has formally ordered the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States for trial over the publication of classified files on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The decision is now up to British Home Secretary Priti Patel, according to Foreign Media. However, Julian Assange could still file an appeal within 14 days of any decision approving his extradition.
The ruling, handed down by a central London magistrate, has brought the long-running legal proceedings in the UK courts to a logical conclusion.
But Julian Assange’s lawyers have until May 18 to represent Julian Assange before Priti Patel and possibly file further appeals on other points in the case.
His lawyers said in a statement last month that they had not yet filed an appeal in the High Court against other important issues they had raised earlier.
He said that this separate process of appeal is yet to begin.
Outside the court, protesters held placards with slogans such as “Don’t hand over Assange” and yellow ribbons with “Free Assange” hashtags on walls outside the court.
Carolina Gretrol, a 55-year-old Venezuelan journalist, called the decision “another day of death for democracy and the rule of law in Britain.”