Julian Assange tries to get a last-ditch appeal from British justice against his extradition to the United States

His supporters have warned of threats to the life of the WikiLeaks founder, who has been detained in the United Kingdom for nearly five years in a case raised as a symbol of threats to press freedom.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, since Tuesday February 20, is trying to get a last-ditch appeal against his extradition to the United States from the British justice system, which wants to try him for the massive leak of documents. As the hearing approaches, his supporters have warned of threats to the life of the 52-year-old Australian, who has been detained in the United Kingdom for nearly five years, in a case raised as a symbol of threats to press freedom. .

“If he loses, there is no possibility of appeal now” In the United Kingdom, his wife Stella Assange, with whom he had two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in the British capital, told the BBC on Monday. “We hope to have time to refer this matter to the European Court of Human Rights.” To intervene, she insisted. If extradited, “He’s going to die.”she said last week.

In January 2021, British justice initially ruled in favor of the WikiLeaks founder. Citing the risk of suicide by Julian Assange, Judge Vanessa Baritser refused to green light extradition. But later this decision was reversed.

Up to 175 years imprisonment

In an attempt to reassure him about his treatment, the United States assured him that he would not be incarcerated at the very high-security ADX prison in Florence (Colorado), nicknamed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies”, and that he would not receive the necessary medical and psychological treatment. will receive care. The Americans also raised the possibility that he might ask to serve his sentence in Australia.

These guarantees convinced the British justice system, but not Julian Assange’s supporters, who denounce political action. He faces up to 175 years in prison and is being prosecuted since 2010 for publishing more than 700,000 classified documents on American military and diplomatic activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among them was a video in which civilians, including two Reuters journalists, were killed by American combat helicopter fire in Iraq in July 2007. Sentenced to 35 years in prison by a court-martial in August 2013, she was released seven years later after the sentence was commuted by Barack Obama.