The court has officially approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States on charges of espionage, which will ultimately be a decision for the Minister of the Interior of the United Kingdom Priti Patel.
The co-founder of Wikileaks, who has the right to appeal, appeared via video link during a hearing in the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, which one of his lawyers described as “a brief but important point in the case.”
Mark Summers QC, for Assange, told the chief magistrate that he had no choice but to send the case to the interior secretary. At the moment, Assange’s team cannot come up with new evidence, but there have been “fresh developments”, he added.
Summers said “serious statements” would be made to the Secretary of the Interior about the verdict and the conditions of the United States.
The brief hearing came after the Supreme Court last month rejected Assange’s appeal against his extradition. He tried to challenge a Supreme Court ruling in December that he could be extradited after assurances from US authorities about his prison conditions there.
An extradition order was issued by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring during the seven-minute hearing.
Goldspring told Assange: “In simple words, I am obliged to send your case to the Secretary of State for a decision.
In addition to filing notes with Patel, Assange’s lawyers have access to other ways to combat his extradition. This may include challenging other legal issues raised at first instance on which he has lost and has not yet been appealed.
Assange, wearing a jacket and tie, appeared via video link from Belmarsh Prison, where he was married last month to his partner Stella Morris, and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.
Morris was in the public gallery at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where a large crowd of supporters gathered outside, including former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Corbyn said he hoped the interior minister would recognize her “huge responsibility” to uphold freedom of speech, journalism and democracy and release Assange.
“He has done nothing more than tell the world about military planning, military policy and the horrors of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I think he deserves to be grateful,” he told reporters.
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