Possible appeal to the High Court
Indeed, it is entirely unlikely that he will be able to deny it, for example on a human rights issue. The possibility remains for Assange’s lawyers of an appeal to the High Court of London. However, the chances of success are reduced to a minimum after the long legal process of the British judiciary and above all the fact that last month the Supreme Court refused to review the case.
Protests by activists
Outside the Westminster court, some Wikileaks activists protested asking not to extradite the activist to the US. Assange had managed to marry on March 23 in prison with the South African lawyer Stella Morris, the partner who gave him two children during the asylum period in the Ecuadorian embassy, present today at the hearing in the space dedicated to the public.
Amnesty: threat to press freedom
Following the decision of the London Magistrates’ Court to issue an extradition order against Julian Assange, Amnesty International stated that any approval from Interior Minister Priti Patel – expected by 18 May – would violate the prohibition of torture and would set an alarming precedent for publicists and journalists from all over the world.
‘The UK is obligated not to relocate any person to a place where their life or health would be in danger. The London government must not fail in this responsibility. The US has clearly stated that it will change the conditions of detention of Assange when it deems it appropriate. This admission runs the risk of causing Assange irreversible damage to his physical and psychological well-being, ”said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International secretary general.
“Assange’s extradition would have devastating consequences for freedom of the press and for public opinion, which has the right to know what governments are doing in his name. Spreading news of public interest is a cornerstone of press freedom. Extraditing Assange and exposing him to espionage charges for publishing confidential information would set a dangerous precedent and would force journalists from all over the world to watch their backs, ”Callamard added.