Mar 14, 2022 - World

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

Jacob Knutson

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

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