Wikileaks founder Assange allowed to challenge US extradition in UK top court

London, Jan 24 (EFE).- Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can ask the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court to consider blocking his possible extradition to the United States, a British High Court ruled on Monday.

The High Court said Assange had 14 days to raise his case with the Supreme Court, which will decide whether or not to hear it.

The move comes two months after the High Court overturned a lower court’s ruling that the Assange should not be extradited to the US due to mental health problems, which could lead to suicide.

US authorities have charged Assange with 18 offenses of espionage and computer misuse related to the leaks of thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables in 2010.

If convicted, he faces up to 175 years in prison.

While Assange denies all accusations, Washington argues the publications put lives in danger.

Assange’s lawyers claim he was acting as a journalist and is therefore entitled to the First Amendment freedom of the press for publishing documents that exposed wrongdoings of the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan. EFE

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