A British court has ruled that the U.S. cannot extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges unless American officials assure that he will not face the death penalty for his alleged crimes. The ruling by Judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson stated that the U.S. must provide Assange, a 52-year-old Australian national, with the same First Amendment protections as a U.S. citizen and guarantee that the death penalty will not be imposed.
The court rejected most of Assange's appeals, including claims that his prosecution is political. The judges emphasized that while Assange may have acted out of political conviction, the extradition request is not based on his political views. The ruling also addressed concerns about potential CIA involvement in kidnapping or harming Assange.
