The 52-year-old Assange is wanted in the US for espionage, and faces 18 charges related to the publication of a range of highly classified information relating to the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Next week, the High Court of Justice in the UK will hold its hearing into whether Mr Assange can appeal his extradition to the US.
Mr Assange has been held in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison since 2019 and potentially faces up to 175 years in prison.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Next week, the High Court of Justice in the UK will hold its hearing into whether Mr Assange can appeal his extradition to the US.
The prime minister has previously labelled the punishment of Assange as disproportionate and called for the matter to come to a “conclusion”, but this latest vote indicates his strongest position yet.
Mr Wilkie — who will fly to London for the second hearing next week — told the parliament that “we have just about run out of time to save Julian Assange”.
“If Mr Assange is extradited to the US, it would be a direct attack on media freedom, as it would set a frightening precedent for all journalists that they, too, are at risk of being locked up just for doing their job.”
After the vote was successful, Mr Wilkie said it marked an unprecedented show of political support for Assange by the parliament.
Last month, Assange’s lawyer warned he was mentally unwell and would be at risk of suicide if his final appeal was rejected.
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