U.K. Judges Grant U.S. Request to Extradite Julian Assange

London judges overturn lower court ruling in blow to Assange
WikiLeaks founder’s case has been sent to the U.K. Home Office

Supporters of Julian Assange outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Dec. 10. Photographer: Niklas Halle’n/AFP/Getty Images

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By Jonathan Browning and Katharine Gemmell

December 10, 2021 at 10:22 AM UTC

Updated on

December 10, 2021 at 1:14 PM UTC

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The U.S. government moved a step closer to prosecuting Julian Assange on espionage charges, after London judges ruled that the WikiLeaks chief can be extradited.

Assange’s lawyers are considering his appeal options, including to the U.K. Supreme Court, meaning the question of whether he is ultimately sent to the U.S. will remain open for months to come. The judges on Friday sent the case to the British government, which typically approves the requests.