Extradition hearing for WikiLeaks' Assange to be split in two parts
Source: Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - The London hearing to decide whether WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange can be extradited to the United States to face charges including spying will be split in two, with the second half delayed until May, a judge ruled on Thursday.
Assange, 48, faces 18 counts in the United States including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if convicted.
Following applications from Assange’s legal team and lawyers representing the United States, Judge Vanessa Baraitser at Westminster Magistrates’ Court agreed that his extradition hearing would start on Feb. 24 for a week, with the remaining three weeks taking place from May 18.
Both sides in the case argued that they needed more time to prepare for the hearings and gather evidence. Assange’s lawyers said it was hard to speak to their client, who is currently being held at Belmarsh Prison in east London and appeared on Thursday by videolink.
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WORLD NEWS JANUARY 23, 2020 / 7:03 AM / UPDATED 32 MINUTES AGO
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-assange/extradition-hearing-for-wikileaks-assange-to-be-split-in-two-parts-idUSKBN1ZM1LN
