Julian Assange's Last Stand: High-Stakes Extradition Battle Looms As Hero And Traitor Face Off In UK Courts

A hearing has been scheduled for February 20-21 at the High Courts in London, where a two-judge panel will reassess the decision made last June that rejected Assange's appeal to prevent extradition.

The 52-year-old Australian is facing a litany of charges from U.S. authorities, including violating the Espionage Act, receiving, possessing, and disseminating classified U.S. government information to the public, and conspiring to commit computer intrusion. If extradited to the United States, Assange could face a trial in Alexandria, Virginia, and a potential sentence of up to 175 years in a maximum-security prison.

January 02, 2024

The charges against Assange stem from events in 2010 when U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning, now known as Chelsea Manning, stole 750,000 pages of classified cables, videos, and documents from the Department of Defense. This material, the largest unauthorized leak of classified material in U.S. history, was then sent unsolicited to WikiLeaks. Assange, who founded WikiLeaks in 2006, made the decision to publish the material. However, there is no evidence that Assange and Manning communicated or that Assange in any way directed or encouraged Manning's actions.

 WATCH: BRITISH COLONEL RICHARD KEMP REPORTING FROM GAZA

Gabriel Shipton, Assange's brother, released a statement highlighting the importance of the upcoming hearing, saying, "This hearing signals a crucial stage in Julian’s battle for justice and is the end of the line in the UK courts." Shipton added, "This Christmas will be Julian's 5th in a UK prison. He has gone through years of uncertainty, his mental and physical health getting worse and worse. He should be able to come home to Australia with his children and get the support he needs. I urge the Prime Minister to pull out all the stops in his efforts to end Julian’s suffering. Bring Julian home."

 WATCH: NO CLUE WHY THEY ARE PROTESTING: "I WISH I WAS MORE EDUCATED"

January 02, 2024

The scheduling of the February hearing follows bipartisan efforts by lawmakers in the United States and Australia, Assange's home country, urging U.S. officials to drop the charges against Assange and halt their extradition appeals.

 TRUMP READY TO DEBATE BIDEN 'ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE,' BUT WILL IT HAPPEN?

Assange is the first publisher to face charges under the Espionage Act, a fact that has raised concerns among press freedom organizations and Assange supporters. They argue that the prosecution sets a dangerous precedent that threatens to criminalize the fundamental principles of journalism. However, U.S. prosecutors and critics maintain that Assange's WikiLeaks publication of classified material put the lives of U.S. allies at risk.

 TIKTOK'S DOOMSDAY CLOCK IS TICKING: HOW WILL THIS AFFECT ITS 170 MILLION AMERICAN USERS?

Last year, a group of editors and publishers from U.S. and European media outlets, including The Guardian, The New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El País, wrote an open letter titled "Publishing is Not a Crime," urging the U.S. to drop the charges against Assange.

 WATCH: ILHAN OMAR WARMLY WELCOMES SUSPENDED DAUGHTER AT COLUMBIA'S ANTI-SEMITIC ENCAMPMENT

Assange has been held at Belmarsh Prison in London since his removal from the Ecuadorian Embassy on April 11, 2019, following his violation of bail conditions. Assange had sought refuge at the embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced allegations of sexual assault. His primary concern was the lack of assurances from Swedish authorities that he would be protected from potential extradition to the United States. The inquiries surrounding the allegations of sexual assault have since been closed.

 CRITICS SLAM BIDEN'S ATTEMPT TO RELATE PERSONAL TRAGEDY TO POLICE OFFICER DEATHS

Stella Assange, Assange's wife, commented on the recent developments, saying, "The last four and a half years have taken the most considerable toll on Julian and his family, including our two young sons. His mental health and physical state have deteriorated significantly."

 NYU ENCAMPMENT ORGANIZERS PUSH PROTESTERS TO JOIN THIS PRO-HAMAS NETWORK

She added, "With the myriad of evidence that has come to light since the original hearing in 2019, such as the violation of legal privilege and reports that senior US officials were involved in formulating assassination plots against my husband, there is no denying that a fair trial, let alone Julian's safety on US soil, is an impossibility were he to be extradited. The persecution of this innocent journalist and publisher must end."

 PANDAS OVER PEOPLE? SF MAYOR'S CONTROVERSIAL CHINA TRIP SPARKS OUTRAGE

Assange's lawyers have recently submitted an application to the European Court of Human Rights, a legal move that could potentially hinder his extradition to the United States.

In response to the announcement of the hearing date, fervent supporters of Assange have called for a large-scale protest to be held at the courthouse during the proceedings.

 FROM DISGRACE TO REDEMPTION: DAN RATHER TO MAKE UNEXPECTED RETURN TO CBS

The Obama administration chose not to indict Assange during his presidency and also released Manning, who had been sentenced to 35 years in prison. However, the Justice Department under former President Trump sought to indict Assange under the Espionage Act, a move that has been upheld by the Biden administration.

 THE DARK SIDE OF AI: MARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR CREATES RACIST DEEPFAKE OF PRINCIPAL

Assange's actions have drawn both praise and condemnation. Tucker Carlson, who has described Assange as "one of the greatest journalists of our age, who has spent his adult life bringing previously concealed facts to the public about what our leaders are doing,” recently released an interview with Assange.