Britain to Make Final Decision on Extraditing Assange to the US

London's Westminster Magistrates' Court has issued an order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he faces a potential 175-year prison sentence.

“A judge in the UK has decided to extradite Julian Assange to the US, where he faces 175 years in prison,” WikiLeaks stated in a report on Twitter.

The decision to issue the order was made on April 2. Now, the final decision on the extradition must be made by the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel. Assange's defense team can present their arguments until May 18.

Supporters of Assange believe that after two years of legal wrangling, his fate is once again being altered by a political decision. Assange, who faced charges of sexual assault and rape in Sweden in 2010, had been hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012, fearing extradition. He was arrested on April 11, 2019, at the request of the US.