UK: A British appeals court on Friday overturned a previous court finding that ruled Julian Assange's mental state was too frail to endure the American criminal justice system, paving the way for his extradition to the United States.
The High Court in London concluded that promises from the United States were sufficient to ensure Assange's humane treatment, and ordered a lower court judge to forward the extradition request to the home secretary for assessment. The home secretary, who is in charge of the United Kingdom's law enforcement, will make the final decision on whether or not to extradite Assange.
An American plea to extradite Assange to the United States to face spying charges stemming from WikiLeaks' publishing of secret military papers a decade ago was denied earlier this year by a lower court judge. On health concerns, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied extradition, claiming that Assange would kill himself if incarcerated in the United States.
The US filed an appeal, arguing that Assange's mental state rendered him too susceptible to face up to the US legal system. Assange "has no history of serious and chronic mental illness," according to lawyer James Lewis, and "does not reach the threshold of being so unwell that he cannot resist killing himself."
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