WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out today if he can appeal against a high court ruling that he may be extradited to the United States, where he is wanted for publication of classified military documents.
Last year in December a British high court overturned an earlier ruling by a magistrates’ court not to extradite the 50-year-old Australian to America.
After the high court ruling, Assange’s fiancee Stella Moris said extraditing him to the US was “dangerous and misguided”.
Moris added: “For the past … two years and a half, Julian has remained in Belmarsh prison, and in fact, he has been detained since 7 December 2010 in one form or another, 11 years. For how long can this go on?”
On Monday, Assange will find out if he can appeal the decision to the UK Supreme Court on “points of law of general public importance”.
If Assange is extradited to the US he will face 18 charges relating to the 2010 WikiLeaks release of 500 000 secret American files relating to its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In South Africa, Assange has the support of the powerful National Union of Metalworkers of SA.
