WikiLeaks founder Assange makes final legal fight in UK court to avoid extradition

STELLA ASSANGE – JULIAN ASSANGE’S WIFE: “His life is at risk every single day he stays in prison. And if he’s extradited, he will die.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

A DIRE MESSAGE FROM JULIAN ASSANGE’S WIFE, THE MAN THE U-S HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET ITS HANDS ON FOR YEARS. EVER SINCE HIS WEBSITE – WIKILEAKS – PUBLISHED CLASSIFIED U-S DOCUMENTS THAT AMERICAN PROSECUTORS SAY PUT LIVES AT RISK.

AS THE CLOCK CLOSES IN ON MIDNIGHT FOR ASSANGE’S EXTRADITION FIGHT, HIS ATTORNEYS ARGUED IN FRONT OF LONDON’S HIGHEST COURT, SAYING ASSANGE:

“…is being prosecuted for engaging in ordinary journalistic practice of obtaining and publishing classified information, information that is both true and of obvious and important public interest.”

AS HIS LAWYERS MADE THEIR CASE INSIDE THE COURTROOM, ASSANGE SUPPORTERS GATHERED EN MASSE OUTSIDE, AND CLAIM ASSANGE’S PROSECUTION IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AND HE WON’T GET A FAIR SHAKE IN THE U-S. 

JUST LAST WEEK THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT REQUESTED ASSANGE BE ABLE TO RETURN TO HIS HOMELAND.

HIS WIFE TELLING REPORTERS THAT ASSANGE DID WHAT ANY TRUE-JOURNALIST SHOULD DO.

STELLA ASSANGE – JULIAN’S WIFE: “Julian did the right thing. He received information that was evidence of the United States and other countries committing torture and war crimes and he performed a public duty and now he’s being punished for it. There is nothing to regret about reporting criminality committed by the state.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE U-S HAS BEEN TRYING TO EXTRADITE ASSANGE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AS HE LIVED IN SELF-EXILE AT THE ECUADORIAN EMBASSY IN LONDON FOR 7 YEARS AND HAS SPENT THE LAST 5 YEARS IN A PRISON NEAR LONDON. 

FACING 18 CRIMINAL CHARGES, MOST OF THEM COUNTS OF ESPIONAGE, IF EXTRADITED TO AMERICA, ASSANGE’S ATTORNEYS SAY HE IS LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL 175 YEAR SENTENCE IF CONVICTED, THOUGH PROSECUTORS HAVE SAID THE SENTENCE WOULD LIKELY BE SHORTER.

U-S PROSECUTORS ALLEGE THAT ASSANGE HELPED A U-S ARMY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST STEAL THE MILITARY FILES LATER MADE PUBLIC ON HIS SITE WIKILEAKS, IN WHAT BEEN CALLED THE LARGEST LEAK OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS IN U-S HISTORY.

INCLUDED IN THE LEAK WAS A 2007 VIDEO OF A U-S MILITARY AIRSTRIKE IN BAGHDAD THAT KILLED TWO REUTERS JOURNALISTS AND WOUNDED TWO CHILDREN

BUT TO THE CROWD OF PROTESTERS OUTSIDE THE LONDON COURT, ASSANGE IS A HERO WHO DID THE RIGHT THING IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION BY EXPOSING WHAT THEY SAY ARE CRIMINAL ACTS BY THE U-S MILITARY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. 

STILL, HIS WIFE AND HIS SUPPORTERS FEAR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE WIKILEAKS FOUNDER IF THE U-S GETS AHOLD OF HIM.

STELLA ASSANGE – JULIAN’S WIFE: “Julian will be put in a hole if he is extradited. There is no doubt about that. He will be put in a hole so far and deep in the ground that I don’t think I’ll ever see him again. And after 13 years of enduring abuse and torture, do you really think a person can survive that?”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

BRITISH COURTS REJECTED ARGUMENTS AGAINST ASSANGE’S EXTRADITION IN THE PAST, AND HIS ATTORNEYS SAY SUCH AN EXTRADITION WOULD VIOLATE THE BRITISH-AMERICAN EXTRADITION TREATY.

HIS ATTORNEY’S ARE ALSO ASKING THE COURTS TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT CLAIMS DISMISSED BY A LOWER COURT THAT THE CIA PLOTTED TO KIDNAP OR KILL ASSANGE WHILE HE WAS IN THE ECUADORIAN EMBASSY IN LONDON, AS THEY ARGUE NEWLY DISCOVERED EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE REALITY OF SUCH A PLOT.

A DECISION COULD COME AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY, BUT ACCORDING TO REPORTS IT WILL LIKELY TAKE WEEKS FOR A RULING TO BE HANDED DOWN.