British high court starts hearing on Julian Assange's appeal of U.S. extradition

Feb. 20 (UPI) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will get another chance to plead his case on why he should not be extradited to the United States in a two-day trial that began Tuesday.

Assange did not appear in front of the High Court in London on Tuesday for his extradition appeal and opted out of attending via video link from Belmarsh prison because he was in ill health, his attorney said.

Assange supporters gathered outside the courtroom calling for him to be freed from Britain and his extradition to the United States denied.

Stella Assange, Julian Assange's wife, urged the protesters to "keep showing up" and voicing their opposition "until Julian is free."

"We have two big days ahead, we don't know what to expect, but you're here because the world is watching," she said. "They just cannot get away with this. Julian needs his freedom and we all need the truth.

Stella Assange said her husband would likely appeal the extradition to the European Court for Human Rights if the hearing fails.

"Free Julian Assange, support journalism and safeguard free speech," Tim Dawson, deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, said among Assange supporters.

U.S. prosecutors charged Assange with 17 charges of espionage and a single count of computer misuse in connection with receiving classified military documents with the help of Chelsea Manning in 2010.

Manning, who was serving as a member of the U.S. military during the leak, served seven years in prison. Assange was granted political asylum by Ecuador and stayed in their London embassy from 2012 to 2019. He was arrested and held for the United States after he left the embassy.

Last week, the Australian prime minister and some members of its Parliament approved a resolution asking that Assange be returned to his homeland of Australia. They said an extradition to the United States would deal a blow to press freedoms.