Julian Assange - latest: Wikileaks founder put people at ‘grave and imminent risk’, court hears

Welcome to our live coverage of Julian Assange’s final bid in an attempt to secure a UK appeal against his extradition to the US.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates here.

Seven years ago, Julian Assange stood outside the Ecuadorian embassy and greeted his supporters with a fist in the air - he couldn’t have thought a prolonged legal battle against extradition to the US would have continued until this week.

The 52-year-old Australian was at the embassy in London seeking asylum as Swedish authorities wanted to speak to him over a rape allegation which was later dropped.

He feared that leaving the UK would lead to him being sent to the US where he was soon to be charged with conspiring to hack into military databases to acquire sensitive information following the publication of files on WikiLeaks.

Read the full explainer from Lydia Patrick and Alex Ross here:

Protesters have gathered outside the High Court in London in support of Julian Assange as the WikiLeaks founder started his last-ditch bid to avoid extradition to the US.

Among those outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday morning were former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Mr Assange’s wife, Stella, who told a crowd: “They just cannot get away with this”.

The 52-year-old is making a last-ditch appeal at the two-day hearing against being to the US, where he faces charges for conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information after the publication of intelligence files on WikiLeaks.

Read the full article here

During the first day of the hearing on Tuesday, Mark Summers KC argued the US prosecution of Assange would be retribution for his political opinions, meaning it would be unlawful to extradite him under UK law.

The barrister said: “This is a paradigm example of state retaliation for the expression of political opinion.

“The district judge did not address it, had she done so, it would have been fatal to her decision.”

In written submissions, Mr Summers and Edward Fitzgerald KC, also for Assange, added: “The evidence showed that the US was prepared to go to any lengths, including misusing its own criminal justice system, to sustain impunity for US officials in respect of the torture/war crimes committed in its infamous ‘war on terror’, and to suppress those actors and courts willing and prepared to try to bring those crimes to account.

“Mr Assange was one of those targets.”

The High Court was told that the US had planned to kill or kidnap Julian Assange.

Mark Summers KC, for the WikiLeaks founder, said: “What the evidence now shows is that the US developed a plan to try to either kill or rendition Mr Assange to the USA.

“What evidence the district judge heard on that came from protected witness two and it was truly breathtaking.”

Mr Summers said there was a plan to kidnap or poison Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he remained for around seven years.

He continued: “With respect to the district judge, there were red flags everywhere.”

The barrister later said the plan “only fell apart when the UK authorities weren’t very keen on the thought of rendition, or a shootout, in the streets of London”.

Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, took to the stage during the lunch break to reflect on the morning’s proceedings.

He said he had been sent to an overflow room, along with many journalists, who missed parts of the morning’s proceedings due to an insufficient audio feed.

“If this is how you practise open justice, then I don’t have much faith in the court system here. It is absurd that journalists are not able to observe one of the most important cases for journalists in modern times,” he said.

He added that the case had been put in one of the smallest court rooms in the building.

“How on earth is that possible with all the massive interest in this case? What are they trying to hide?” Mr Hrafnsson said.

The WikiLeaks founder faces extradition to the US over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information.

Here is a timeline of some key dates spanning more than a decade of legal woes for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Read the full article here

The first day of the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice was attended by dozens of journalists and members of the public, with scores of supporters of Assange gathering outside the central London courthouse from 8am.

Addressing the crowd ahead of the hearing, Assange’s wife Stella Assange said: “We don’t know what to expect, but you’re here because the world is watching.

“They just cannot get away with this.

“Julian needs his freedom and we all need the truth.”

Assange has been restricted in his movements for almost 14 years.

It started when Swedish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Assange in 2010 as they investigating an allegation of rape against him while he was in the country - and asked the UK to extradite Assange.

Assange was arrested by British police and after he lost an appeal against extradition he sought asylum in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, claiming the Swedish case would lead him to being sent to the US.

Assange spent seven years in the embassy before in 2019 he was detained by police again for breaching bail conditions connected to his arrest for the Swedish case. In the same year, Swedish authorities dropped their case against Assange.

Assange was given a 50-week prison sentence - and has remained at Belmarsh prison since, fighting his extradition to the US.