Court hearings to decide if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to face charges in the U.S. were postponed Monday because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled from Westminster Magistrates Court in London to delay resuming Assange’s high-stakes extradition trial next month in light of the pandemic likely preventing the WikiLeaks publisher and other participants from attending those proceedings in person at that point.
“Remote attendance by the parties in this case will not be appropriate,” the judge ruled, Reuters reported. “Mr. Assange and the lawyers on both sides will need to be physically present in the courtroom.”
Assange, a 48-year-old Australian, has been jailed at Belmarsh Prison in London since last April pending an extradition request from the U.S. where he faces criminal charges related to WikiLeaks, including violations of the Espionage Act related to allegedly soliciting, receiving and published classified government documents.
Hearings held to consider the request were briefly held in late February prior to being adjourned until May 18. The novel coronavirus pandemic erupted in the interim, effectively locking down prisons like Belmarsh and subsequently causing Assange’s lawyers to ask for a postponement in proceedings.
“With the coronavirus outbreak the preparation for this case goes from difficult to impossible,” argued Assange lawyer Edward Fitzgerald, the Australian Associated Press reported. “There are no person-to-person meetings. The alternative of video conferences is medically dangerous. Mr. Assange will be facing a David-and-Goliath battle with his hands tied behind his back.”
The judge ultimately agreed to adjourn the case until May 4, at which point the court will determine a new date to resume Assange’s extradition hearings. Woolwich Crown Court where those proceedings will likely be held is unable to host Assange’s trial until November, however, the judge noted, according to both news outlets.
Assange faces a maximum sentence of 175 years imprisonment if extradited to the U.S. and convicted of all counts.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.