WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to be extradited to US, UK government approves

The UK government has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to the US. Assange is a citizen of Australia. He is accused of espionage. He has been lodged in London's Belmarsh Prison since 2019. After his arrest, the application filed by the US court to extradite him was made public.

The Home Office said in a statement that "UK courts have not found that Assange's extradition would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process." It marks a turning point in Assange's years-long legal battle to avoid being deported to the US. However, this is not the end of Assange's efforts and he has 14 days to appeal against it.

US prosecutors say Assange helped US military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal confidential diplomatic cables and military files that were later published by WikiLeaks, putting lives at risk .