Page 5 - aruba-today-20220421

A5
WORLD NEWS Thursday 21 april 2022
Judge sends Assange extradition decision to UK government

By JILL LAWLESS conditions. U.S. authorities
LONDON (AP) — A British later provided assurances
judge on Wednesday for- that the WikiLeaks founder
mally approved the extra- wouldn’t face the severe
dition of Julian Assange to treatment that his lawyers
the United States to face said would put his physical
spying charges. The case and mental health at risk.
will now go to Britain’s in- In December, the High
terior minister for a deci- Court overturned the low-
sion, though the WikiLeaks er court’s decision, saying
founder still has legal av- that the U.S. promises were
enues of appeal. enough to guarantee that
The order, which brings Assange would be treated
and end to the years’-long humanely. The Supreme
extradition battle closer, Court in March rejected
comes after the U.K. Su- Assange’s attempt to chal-
preme Court last month lenge that ruling.
refused Assange permission Assange’s lawyers say he
to appeal against a lower could face up to 175 years
court’s ruling that he could in jail if he is convicted in
be extradited. the U.S., though American
District Judge Paul Gold- authorities have said the
spring issued the order in a sentence was likely to be
brief hearing at Westmin- Wikileaks founder Julian Assange supporters hold placards as they gather outside Westminster much lower than that.q
ster Magistrates’ Court, as Magistrates court In London, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Associated Press Assange has been held
Assange watched by vid- at Britain’s high-security
eo link from Belmarsh Prison documents more than a nage and one charge of Amendment protections Belmarsh Prison in London
and his supporters rallied decade ago. computer misuse. Ameri- of freedom of speech for since 2019, when he was ar-
outside the courthouse, de- His lawyers have four weeks can prosecutors say As- publishing documents rested for skipping bail dur-
manding he be freed. to make submissions to Pa- sange unlawfully helped that exposed U.S. military ing a separate legal battle.
Home Secretary Priti Patel tel, and can also seek to U.S. Army intelligence ana- wrongdoing in Iraq and Af- Before that, he spent seven
will now decide whether to appeal to the High Court. lyst Chelsea Manning steal ghanistan. They argue that years inside the Ecuador-
grant the extradition. Assange lawyer Mark Sum- classified diplomatic ca- his case is politically moti- ian Embassy in London to
The move doesn’t exhaust mers told the court that the bles and military files that vated. avoid extradition to Swe-
the legal options for As- legal team had “serious WikiLeaks later published, A British district court judge den to face allegations of
sange, who has sought for submissions” to make. putting lives at risk. had initially rejected a U.S. rape and sexual assault.
years to avoid a trial in the The U.S. has asked British Supporters and lawyers for extradition request on the Sweden dropped the sex
U.S. on charges related to authorities to extradite As- Assange, 50, argue that grounds that Assange was crimes investigations in No-
WikiLeaks’ publication of sange so he can stand trial he was acting as a jour- likely to kill himself if held vember 2019 because so
a huge trove of classified on 17 charges of espio- nalist and is entitled to First under harsh U.S. prison much time had elapsed.q

Japan formally revokes Russia’s ‘most favored nation’ status

By MARI YAMAGUCHI are expected to intensify transfer of virtual currency
Associated Press pressure on Russia, but the held by those subject to as-
TOKYO (AP) — Japan en- moves could also prompt set freezing.
acted a law on Wednes- reprisals from Moscow. Japan is taking a greater
day formally revoking Rus- The revocation of the trade role in the international ef-
sia’s “most favored nation” status applies to tariffs on fort against Russia because
trade status over its inva- most imports from Russia, of its concerns about the
sion of Ukraine, as Tokyo allowing Tokyo to impose impact of the invasion in
steps up sanctions amid higher duties on such prod- East Asia, where China’s
revelations of Russian mili- ucts. The measure, howev- military has grown increas-
tary atrocities against civil- er, does not affect imports ingly assertive.
ians. of crude oil and liquefied Japan has also frozen the
The stripping of Russia’s natural gas, as well as pal- assets of hundreds of Rus-
trade status is Japan’s lat- ladium, a type of rare met- sian individuals and groups
est move against Mos- al, which had no tariffs be- and banned new invest-
cow and is part of a list of fore Russia joined the World ment and trade, including Lawmakers stand up to approve the revision to a trade law to
sanction measures Prime Trade Organization in 2012 the export of goods that revoke Moscow’s “most favored nation” trade status over its
invasion of Ukraine, at the plenary session of the Upper House in
Minister Fumio Kishida an- and gained the most fa- could be used for military Tokyo, Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
nounced last month that vored nation status. purposes. Japan also an- Associated Press
also include a decision to It followed a decision along nounced plans to phase
expel eight Russian diplo- with the U.S. and other out imports of Russian coal. they took a Russian govern- cow recently announced
mats and trade officials. members of the Group of On Wednesday, the eight ment plane home. Chief the suspension of talks on
The revocation of Russia’s Seven industrialized nations Russian diplomats and of- Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu a peace treaty with Tokyo
trade status by Japan’s Par- to do so. ficials subject to expulsion Matsuno confirmed the de- that included negotiations
liament, which takes effect Wednesday’s parliamen- traveled from the Russian parture of the eight and over Russian-held islands
later this month, and other tary decision also included Embassy in Tokyo on a bus their families. that the former Soviet Union
sanctions collectively im- a revision of a foreign ex- to the city’s Haneda In- Japan has already faced seized from Japan at the
posed by other countries, change law to prevent the ternational Airport, where reprisals from Russia. Mos- end of World War II.q