Why Wikileaks’ Julian Assange faces US extradition demand – BBC

The decision means Mr Assange's lawyerscanchallengeUSassurancesabout how his trial would be conducted.

As a teenager, Mr Assange gained a reputation for computer programming.

In 1995, he was fined for hacking offences in his native country, Australia, but avoided prison after promising not to do it again.

Mr Assange founded the Wikileaks website in 2006. It claims to have published more than 100 million documents , including many confidential or restricted official reports related to war, spying and corruption.

In 2010, it released a video from a US military helicopter which showed civilians being killed in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

These suggested that the US military had killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents during the war in Afghanistan.

In 2019, the US Department of Justice described the leaks as "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States".

Mr Assange insisted that the files exposed serious abuses by US armed forces, and that the case against him was politically motivated.

The US authorities began extradition proceedings to bring Mr Assange to the US.

If convicted, his lawyers say he faces up to 175 years in jail. However, the US government says four to six years is more likely.

The 2019 US extradition request was granted after a series of court hearings.

However, Mr Assange has fought to overturn the decision.

Hewillnowhaveanumberofmonthstopreparehisappeal, which will concern whether the US courts will protect his right to free speech as an Australian citizen.

He said the claims were "without basis".

Sweden asked the UK to extradite Mr Assange, who was arrested and remanded on bail.

Two years of legal battles followed, but in 2012, the UK Supreme Court ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden for questioning.

However, he went on the run and sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy, claiming the Swedish case would lead to him being sent to the US. Asylum was granted by Ecuador's then president, Rafael Correa.

Mr Assange spent seven years in the embassy, and was regularly visited by celebrity supporters including the singer Lady Gaga and the actor Pamela Anderson.

He was arrested inside the embassy by British police, and then tried for not surrendering to the courts to be extradited to Sweden. He received a 50-week prison sentence.

She wore a wedding dress designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood, and has called on US President Joe Biden to "drop this shameful case".

The couple began their relationship in 2015, and have two children together.

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Why Wikileaks' Julian Assange faces US extradition demand - BBC