Priti Patel has signed an order to extradite Julian Assange to the US to face espionage charges, the Home Office has confirmed.
The Wikileaks founder now has 14 days to launch an appeal against the decision.
The decision was described as “a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy” by Wikileaks, which confirmed that Mr Assange will appeal.
“Julian did nothing wrong,” said the group in a statement. “He has committed no crime and is not a criminal. He is a journalist and a publisher and he is being punished for doing his job.”
The US has been seeking to put Mr Assange on trial since his website in 2010 published a series of leaks from army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning which pointed to wrongdoing by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He spent seven years in the embassy of Ecuador in London after breaching bail on an extradition order to face sexual offence charges in Sweden, which were dropped in 2019.
He was arrested on leaving the embassy that year and has since remained in Belmarsh high-security prison. After a High Court ruling in favour of the US last December, Assange’s extradition was formally approved by Westminster Magistrates Court in April.
A Home Office spokesperson today said: “Under the Extradition Act 2003, the secretary of state must sign an extradition order if there are no grounds to prohibit the order being made. Extradition requests are only sent to the home secretary once a judge decides it can proceed after considering various aspects of the case.
“On 17 June, following consideration by both the Magistrates Court and High Court, the extradition of Mr Julian Assange to the US was ordered. Mr Assange retains the normal 14-day right to appeal.
“In this case, the UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange. Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health.”
Senior broadcaster John Simpson was one of the first to speak out against the extradition decision.
“Journalists in Britain and elsewhere will be very worried by the decision to extradite Julian Assange to the US — both for his own well-being and for the precedent it creates for journalism worldwide,” said Mr Simpson.
Quinn McKew, executive director of the Article 19 campaign for freedom of expression, said: “The Home Office’s decision to extradite Julian Assange exposes its complicity in undermining press freedom just as it claims to be a world leader on freedom of expression.
“It also sends a worrying message to the world that journalists, activists and anyone who exposes important truths about crimes – including those committed by governments and businesses — do not deserve protection for their rights to impart information and speak freely.
“Article 19 urges Priti Patel and the UK government to reverse this decision.”
