Julian Assange's Extradition Case

Julian Assange's Extradition to the US: What You Need to Know

Julian Assange is accused of conspiring to hack into US military databases to acquire sensitive secret information and publishing it through Wikileaks.
The US requested Assange's extradition from the UK, where he is currently in prison.
Extradition allows one country to ask another to hand over a suspect to face trial, and the UK Home Office maintains that extraditing Assange would not be "incompatible with his human rights".
The circumstances and rules for extradition are set by treaties and laws within each country.
Every time the US wants to put a suspect who is in the UK on trial, its prosecutors ask the British government and the home secretary sends it on to the courts, which issue a warrant for the suspect to be found and arrested.
The judge must be satisfied that the individual is definitely the suspect the US seeks and that the alleged crime is an offence that could lead to trial in the UK.
The judge must also consider whether the person has already been prosecuted for the crime, or whether the offence happened in a different country entirely.
Under UK law, Parliament has banned extraditing anyone to face trial in a country that has the death penalty, unless the requesting nation has promised not to impose it.
Any final decision on extradition to the US is made by the home secretary, and the suspect can appeal against extradition, a process that can last more than a year.
The UK has previously blocked a number of extraditions to the US on human-rights grounds.
Many nations do not have to provide detailed evidence of the suspect's guilt to British judges, including the US, because the UK has concluded that these countries have laws and safeguards in place which guarantee independent judges and a legal right to a fair trial.
The US will not send someone to face trial in the UK before its judges are sure the evidence is strong, and the US Constitution says nobody can be arrested and detained without proof of "probable cause".

Julian Assange seeks permission to appeal extradition decision to the US

Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, is seeking permission to appeal the decision to extradite him to the United States.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel approved Assange's extradition in June, as he is wanted in America over the leak of secret military information.
Assange is accused of conspiring to hack into US military databases to acquire sensitive secret information, which was then published by Wikileaks.
He claims the information exposed abuses by the US military and that the case against him is politically motivated.
US prosecutors say the leaks put lives at risk, and they requested Assange's extradition from the UK, where he is currently in prison.
Extradition allows one country to ask another to hand over a suspect to face trial, and it helps nations co-operate in tracking down criminals.
The UK Home Office maintains extraditing Assange would not be "incompatible with his human rights" and that while in the US "he will be treated appropriately".
The circumstances and rules for extradition are set by treaties - legal agreements between states - and laws within each country.
Every time the US wants to put a suspect who is in the UK on trial, its prosecutors ask the British government.
The judge must be satisfied that the individual is definitely the suspect the US seeks, and that the alleged crime is an offence that could lead to trial in the UK, had the incident happened on its territory.
Under UK law, Parliament has banned extraditing anyone to face trial in a country that has the death penalty, unless the requesting nation has promised not to impose it.
Any final decision on extradition to the US is made by the home secretary, and the suspect can appeal against extradition, a process that can last more than a year.

Julian Assange seeks permission to appeal extradition decision to the US

Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, is seeking permission to appeal the decision to extradite him to the United States.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel approved Assange's extradition in June, as he is wanted in America over the leak of secret military information.
Assange is accused of conspiring to hack into US military databases to acquire sensitive secret information, which was then published by Wikileaks.
He claims the information exposed abuses by the US military and that the case against him is politically motivated.
US prosecutors say the leaks put lives at risk, and they requested Assange's extradition from the UK, where he is currently in prison.
Extradition allows one country to ask another to hand over a suspect to face trial, and it helps nations co-operate in tracking down criminals.
The UK Home Office maintains extraditing Assange would not be "incompatible with his human rights" and that while in the US "he will be treated appropriately".
The circumstances and rules for extradition are set by treaties - legal agreements between states - and laws within each country.
Every time the US wants to put a suspect who is in the UK on trial, its prosecutors ask the British government.
The judge must be satisfied that the individual is definitely the suspect the US seeks, and that the alleged crime is an offence that could lead to trial in the UK, had the incident happened on its territory.
Under UK law, Parliament has banned extraditing anyone to face trial in a country that has the death penalty, unless the requesting nation has promised not to impose it.
Any final decision on extradition to the US is made by the home secretary, and the suspect can appeal against extradition, a process that can last more than a year.