Julian Assange's extradition to US approved by UK government | CNN
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has signed an order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he faces espionage charges, in a decision his organization said marked a "dark day for press freedom."
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London (CNN)UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has signed an order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he faces espionage charges, in a decision Wikileaks said marked a "dark day for press freedom."
A London court issued a formal extradition order back in April, leaving Patel to rubber-stamp his transfer to the US after a years-long legal battle.
The decision will likely see months more of legal wrangling: Assange has the right to appeal Friday's decision within 14 days, according to a Home Office statement announcing the order.
Wikileaks said Assange's extradition will be appealed, stressing that the "next appeal will be before the High Court," according to a Friday statement.
The organization asserted that Assange "committed no crime and is not a criminal," adding that he is a "journalist and a publisher" who "is being punished for doing his job."
"This is a dark day for Press freedom and British democracy. Anyone who cares about freedom of expression should be deeply ashamed," Wikileaks added.
In Friday's statement, the Home Office stressed that the UK courts have not found that extradition of Assange would be incompatible with his human rights.