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A British choose has rejected the United States’ request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage expenses, saying it will be “oppressive” due to his psychological well being.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser mentioned Monday Assange was more likely to commit suicide if despatched to the US.
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The US authorities mentioned it will attraction the choice.
US prosecutors have indicted Assange on 17 espionage expenses and one cost of laptop misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of leaked army and diplomatic paperwork a decade in the past. The expenses carry a most sentence of 175 years in jail.
Lawyers for the 49-year-old Australian argue that he was appearing as a journalist and is entitled to First Amendment protections of freedom of speech for publishing leaked paperwork that uncovered US army wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The choose rejected claims by the protection that Assange was protected by free-speech ensures, saying his “conduct, if proved, would therefore amount to offenses in this jurisdiction that would not be protected by his right to freedom of speech.”
Read extra: UN rights knowledgeable urges Trump to pardon WikiLeaks founder Assange
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Last Update: Monday, 04 January 2021 KSA 14:12 – GMT 11:12
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