Mar 14, 2022 - World

U.K. Supreme Court denies Assange permission to appeal extradition

Julian Assange speaking from the Embassy Of Ecuador in London in 2017.

Julian Assange speaking from the Embassy Of Ecuador in London in 2017. Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

The United Kingdom's Supreme Court on Monday denied WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal a decision to extradite him to the U.S.

Why it matters: If he is extradited, Assange will face trial in the U.S. on 18 counts related to WikiLeaks' release of vast troves of confidential U.S. military records and a potential sentence of up to 175 years in prison.

What they're saying: The U.K. said the appeal was denied because "the application does not raise an arguable point of law."

The big picture: The High Court in London overturned a lower court ruling in December to allow Assange's extradition process to continues, then gave him permission to appeal to the U.K. Supreme Court in January.

  • A lower court in 2021 had blocked Assange's extradition over concerns about his mental condition.

What's next: The U.K.'s Home Secretary Priti Patel can now ratify the extradition decision, though Assange will have an opportunity to challenge that, according to Reuters.

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