UK appeal against US extradition for Julian Assange set to start

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's appeal against his extradition from the UK to the US is set to be heard next month, according to court officials in London on Tuesday.

The appeal, which challenges a UK court decision endorsing his extradition to face charges under US national security laws, will commence on July 9, stated a judicial spokesperson on Tuesday.

The 52-year-old Assange won his attempt to overturn the decision last month, and the two-day hearing will now happen at London's High Court the following month.

The Australian-born Assange is contesting his extradition to the US, where he faces 18 charges, predominantly under the Espionage Act, for his role in the extensive release of classified US documents through WikiLeaks — the most significant breach of its type in US military history.

Assange may face a sentence of 175 years in prison, according to his supporters, if the United States is found guilty of espionage under the 1917 Espionage Act.

Since April 2019, Assange has been held at the high-security Belmarsh prison in London.