Assange US extradition appeal decision due

Julian Assange is expected to land in Sydney on Wednesday. Photo: AAP
Julian Assange is due to find out whether he can take an appeal against the decision to extradite him to the United States to the United Kingdomās Supreme Court.
Assange, 50, is wanted in the US over an alleged conspiracy following WikiLeaksā publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
In December, US authorities won their High Court challenge to overturn a ruling that Assange should not be extradited due to a real and āoppressiveā risk of suicide.
Assangeās fiancee, Stella Moris, called the High Courtās decision ādangerous and misguidedā and said the WikiLeaks founderās lawyers intended to bring an appeal to the Supreme Court.
For a proposed appeal to be considered by the UKās highest court, a case has to raise a point of law of āgeneral public importanceā.
On Monday, the High Court will give its decision about whether this applies in Assangeās case in what is expected to be a short verbal ruling.
If the judges rule there is no point of law, Assange will not be able to appeal to the Supreme Court, and the extradition request would be sent to Home Secretary Priti Patel for approval.
Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, for Assange, previously said the case raised āserious and importantā legal issues, including over a ārelianceā on assurances given by the US about the prison conditions he would face if extradited.
The decision by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and Lord Justice Holroyde is due about 10.00 pm AEDT on Monday.
ā AAP







