High Court grants Julian Assange reprieve in appeal against US extradition

Julian Assange has been granted a reprieve in his battle against extradition to the US to face charges of spying and hacking after the High Court in London called for Washington to provide assurances about his future treatment.

In a ruling on Tuesday, the court gave the US three weeks to provide undertakings that Assange would be treated the same as a US citizen at trial, would not be subjected to the death penalty and would be able to rely on First Amendment free-speech protections.

The decision to give the WikiLeaks founder scope to make further representations on such issues — three of nine grounds of appeal put forward by his lawyers — means he will not be extradited for at least two months.

The next hearing is scheduled for May 20, when a final decision on Assange’s ability to appeal will be made.

If the US does not provide the requested assurances, the court will grant him a full appeal.

“The court has found that Mr Assange has an arguable case on [three] grounds,” said a press summary of the judgment issued by the court. “Unless the government of the United States of America and the secretary of state provide satisfactory assurances in respect of those grounds, the court will grant leave to appeal.”

WikiLeaks published secret military logs and diplomatic cables revealing US activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, in one of the biggest-ever leaks of classified documents.

Supporters of Assange have cast him as a political prisoner and journalist whose case is an important test of press freedoms.

US authorities have presented him as a menace whose actions not only undermined national security but also compromised the safety of particular individuals.

Washington has called for Assange to face trial on charges of computer hacking and violating the 1917 Espionage Act.

In a court hearing last month, lawyers for the 52-year-old had argued that Assange would face a “flagrant denial of justice” if the UK allowed his extradition. The Australian national is being held at Belmarsh prison, a high-security facility in south-east London.

US authorities said claims by Assange’s lawyers that he could face a sentence of up to 175 years in a US prison were a gross exaggeration.

If Assange is unsuccessful in his final appeal, he may ask the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition.