Assange lifeline in extradition battle

A “thankful” Julian Assange has won a last chance in the UK to seek to block his extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crime allegations.

By The Newsroom

Published 6th Dec 2011, 06:00 BST

Two High Court judges yesterday certified the WikiLeaks founder had raised a question on extradition law “of general public importance”, paving the way for him to go to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land.

Sir John Thomas, sitting in London with Mr Justice Ouseley, refused the 40-year-old Australian direct permission to appeal after Sir John described Assange’s chances of winning as “extraordinarily slim”.

But the judges gave him 14 days to ask the Supreme Court justices themselves to give a final UK ruling.

If the Supreme Court refuses to hear his arguments, or if he loses a full appeal, his remaining option will be to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Assange has fought a series of legal battles, arguing that it would be “unfair and unlawful” to order his extradition.