Assange Show Trial: Craig Murray's daily court reports

[BenDhyan]

Julian Assange could plead guilty to lesser offence to avoid extradition to US

The US government is reportedly considering offering Julian Assange a plea deal under which he would be released from jail in Britain without setting foot in America.

Department of Justice officials are considering allowing the Australian Wikileaks founder to plead guilty to mishandling classified information, which carries a lower sentence than the espionage charges he faces for publishing thousands of classified files on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Mr Assange, 52, has been in a protracted legal battle to avoid extradition to the US to face the charges, and is currently imprisoned in HMP Belmarsh, where he has been for almost five years.

The Wall Street Journal reported that officials are drawing up plans for a plea deal with Mr Assange’s lawyers, but have not yet reached an agreement.

If the deal went ahead, the time he has spent in prison in the UK would count towards his US sentence, potentially making his release imminent.

He would also likely be allowed to plead remotely, removing the requirement to attend court in the US.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/julian-assange-could-plead-guilty-to-lesser-offence-to-avoid-extradition-to-us/ar-BB1kf3Q7

[BenDhyan]

Assange wins right to fight extradition to US

The Wikileaks founder was granted a reprieve, as the US seeks to try him on espionage charges.

A court in London has ruled in favor of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday, granting him the opportunity to appeal his extradition to the US. The publisher stands accused of espionage and is facing up to 175 years in jail.

The hearing at the High Court could have been the last opportunity for Assange’s defense team to seek recourse within the British legal system, if the judges had decided against his bid. His attorneys have argued that the American case against him is political in nature, and that extraditing him to the US would put his life and well-being at risk.

Two British justices reviewing the situation decided that there was an arguable case against extradition and ruled that he should be granted a full appeal hearing again.

https://www.rt.com/news/594927-assange-extradition-appeal-us/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS