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world news Diasabra 11 December 2021

UK opens door to Assange extradition to US on spying charges

(AP) — A British appel- ernments wanted to keep se- Before that, he spent seven
late court opened the door cret. years holed up inside Ecua-
Friday for Julian Assange dor’s Embassy in London.
to be extradited to the Both views have been debat- Assange sought protection in
United States on spying ed as Assange has sought his the embassy in 2012 to avoid
charges by overturning a freedom — and to evade the extradition to Sweden to face
lower court decision that Americans. allegations of rape and sexual
the WikiLeaks founder’s assault.
mental health was too The U.S. has asked British
fragile to withstand incar- authorities to extradite As- In January, District Judge
ceration in America. sange so he can stand trial Vanessa Baraitser rejected the
on 17 charges of espionage U.S. request to extradite As-
The High Court in London and one charge of computer sange, saying the Australian
ruled that U.S. assurances misuse linked to WikiLeaks’ citizen was likely to kill him-
about Assange’s detention, publication of thousands of self if held under harsh U.S.
received after the lower leaked military and diplo- prison conditions.
court decision, were enough matic documents.
to guarantee he would be If convicted, Assange won’t
treated humanely. Assange’s Assange’s fiancée, Stella Mo- be imprisoned at the “super- that their client shouldn’t United States and abroad.”
lawyers say they will ask to ris, called Friday’s decision a max” penitentiary in Flor- have been charged because
appeal. “grave miscarriage of justice” ence, Colorado, the highest- he was acting as a journalist “If upheld, it would under-
that threatens the rights of security prison in the United and is protected by the First mine the key role of jour-
In the ruling, the High Court journalists everywhere to do States, American authorities Amendment of the U.S. nalists and publishers in
directed the lower court their jobs without fear of re- promised the court. They Constitution that guarantees scrutinizing governments
judge to send the extradition taliation by governments that also pledged that he wouldn’t freedom of the press. The and exposing their misdeeds
request to Home Secretary don’t like what they publish. be held under “special ad- documents he published ex- — and would leave journal-
Priti Patel, who would make She said Assange’s lawyers ministrative measures,” posed U.S. military wrong- ists everywhere looking over
the final decision on whether would seek to appeal. which can include segrega- doing in Iraq and Afghani- their shoulders,” Muižnieks
to send Assange to the U.S. tion from other prisoners and stan, they say. said Friday.
for trial. “We will fight,” Moris said the loss of privileges such as
outside the court, where sup- visits, correspondence and Barry J. Pollack, a lawyer for But so far, the court has opt-
“There is no reason why this porters chanted and waved use of the telephone. Assange in the U.S., called ed to ignore these issues all
court should not accept the banners demanding As- Friday’s decision “highly dis- together, said Nick Vamos,
assurances as meaning what sange’s release. “Every gen- American prosecutors say As- turbing,” citing unfounded the former head of extradi-
they say,” a two-judge panel eration has an epic fight to sange unlawfully helped U.S. allegations that the U.S. plot- tion at the U.K.’s Crown
of the High Court said in its fight and this is ours, because Army intelligence analyst ted to kidnap or kill his client. Prosecution Service. Now
ruling. Julian represents the funda- Chelsea Manning steal clas- that the American assurances,
mentals of what it means to sified diplomatic cables and Human rights advocates ar- have been accepted, Assange
Since WikiLeaks began pub- live in a free society.” military files that WikiLeaks gue that the U.S. govern- would have to base his appeal
lishing classified documents later published, putting lives ment wants to stifle its crit- on other matters he raised
more than a decade ago, As- Assange, 50, is currently be- at risk. ics. While the British High in the district court — all of
sange has become a lightning ing held at the high-security Court was not ruling on the which had been rejected in
rod for both criticism and Belmarsh Prison in London. The charges Assange faces merits of the charges, the ex- the past.
veneration. The High Court ordered that carry a maximum sentence of tradition proceedings have
he remain in custody pend- 175 years in prison, though opened a broader discussion “We had a phrase when I was
Some see him as a dangerous ing the outcome of the extra- lawyers for the U.S. have told about Assange’s case. working on the extradition
secret-spiller who endan- dition case. British courts that the longest team at the CPS ... that ex-
gered the lives of informers sentence ever imposed for Amnesty Internation- tradition isn’t over until the
and others who helped the Assange has been in deten- such an offense was five years al’s Europe director, Nils wheels are up on the plane,”
U.S. in war zones. Others tion since he was arrested in and three months. Muižnieks, said the indict- he said. “Anything can hap-
say WikiLeaks has publicized April 2019 for skipping bail ment “poses a grave threat pen, even at the last second.”
official malfeasance that gov- during a separate legal battle. Lawyers for Assange argue to press freedom both in the

Taiwan loses diplomatic ally Nicaragua to China

(AP) — Taiwan lost Nica- China, which claims self- the Nicaraguan government and Slovakia, which do not Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign
ragua as a diplomatic ally ruled Taiwan as part of its said in a statement Thurs- formally recognize Taiwan as Affairs expressed “sadness
after the Central Ameri- territory. day announcing the change. a country. Now, Taiwan has and regret” and said it would
can country said it would “The People’s Republic of 14 diplomatic allies remain- immediately recall its diplo-
officially recognize only “There is only one China,” China is the only legitimate ing. matic staff.
government that represents
all China, and Taiwan is an “What is most important “The more successful Tai-
inalienable part of the Chi- to Taiwan is the number wan’s democracy, and the
nese territory.” of countries with which it greater the international sup-
maintains diplomatic rela- port, then the greater the
“As of today, Nicaragua tions,” Jason Marczak, direc- pressure from the authoritar-
breaks its diplomatic rela- tor of the Atlantic Council’s ian camp,” Taiwanese Presi-
tions with Taiwan and ceases Adrienne Arsht Latin Amer- dent Tsai Ing-wen said Fri-
to have any official contact or ica Center, said in an email. day in response. “Whether
relationship,” it added. “In Central America, Nicara- it’s diplomatic pressure or
gua is now the third country military intimidation, we will
The move increases Taiwan’s that has switched recognition not change our determina-
diplomatic isolation on the from Taiwan to China in the tion to adhere to democracy
international stage, even as last four years. I wouldn’t and freedom, to go on the
the self-governed island steps be surprised if more are to international stage and par-
up official exchanges with come.” ticipate.”
countries such as Lithuania