The court issued a formal extradition order during a hearing Wednesday, leaving UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to seal his transfer to the United States after years of litigation. Assange may appeal the decision.
He is wanted in the United States on 18 criminal charges after WikiLeaks published thousands of classified files and diplomatic telegrams in 2010. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted.
Assange joined the hearing virtually from Belmarsh Prison in London, where he was detained after being taken out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London three years ago. He gave his full name and date of birth.
His extradition has been the subject of numerous court dates since his arrest, after Assange sought diplomatic asylum at the embassy for seven years. In January 2021, a magistrate’s court ruled that Assange could not be extradited because it would be “depressing” due to his mental health.
But the Supreme Court overturned the ruling in December, saying Assange could be extradited to the United States based on assurances given by the U.S. government that he would be treated there.
These include promises that Assange will not be subject to “special administrative measures”, nor will he be held in prison with maximum security before or after the trial.
Assange last month married his longtime partner Stella Morris at Belmarsh Prison.
CNN’s Claudia Rebaza, Rob Idiols and Tara John contributed to the reports
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