Assange Won a Victory, but the Fight Isn’t Over
The imprisoned journalist received a rare legal win when the UK High Court ruled he can appeal his extradition to the US. Yet the fight for Assange’s freedom — and the future of global press freedom — is far from over.
Protests outside the High Court in London in support of Julian Assange on February 21, 2024. (Wikimedia Commons)
On Monday, May 20, 2024, the British High Court granted Julian Assange his first legal victory in four years. The court found that the WikiLeaks founder could appeal his extradition to the United States on the basis that he may be denied free expression rights and face discrimination if tried there. In the UK system, leave must be granted to appeal. Courts have previously refused to grant Assange leave to appeal on key issues.
Assange remains locked up in the notorious Belmarsh Prison. And while he’s been granted the right to appeal on two narrow grounds, it’s still possible the court could rule against him. Assange still could be extradited — and press freedom hangs in the balance.
Exposing War Crimes
The US war on WikiLeaks, its sources, and its founder is a long, sordid affair. It entered its current phase on April 11, 2019, when British police arrested Assange. The United States then unsealed a series of indictments against him and sought his extradition. Ultimately, Assange would be charged with seventeen counts under the Espionage Act and one count of conspiring to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. All of the charges stem from WikiLeaks’ receipt and publication of classified documents from whistleblower Chelsea Manning.
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