British minister approves extradition of Julian Assange to US

Julian Assange may be extradited to the United States by the British Home Secretary. Minister Priti Patel found no reasons to refuse the extradition request, so she must grant permission. Assange can still appeal.

The question was whether Patel had legal grounds to refuse the extradition request. The United States promised not to execute Assange if he was handed over. Because of these promises, Patel appears to have no reasons to refuse the request, so she approved the request on Friday.

Assange cannot be extradited immediately, writes The Guardian† He has 14 days to appeal. Assange’s legal team is expected to do this, focusing on freedom of expression and whether the extradition request is politically motivated.

The British court has repeatedly ruled that there is no objection to the extradition. Assange faces 175 years in prison in the United States, including for violating the US Espionage Act when he leaked classified information about wars. Assange spent years in the Ecuadorian embassy until 2019.