UK judge to rule whether WikiLeaks founder Assange can be extradited to US

UK district judge Vanessa Baraitser will deliver on Monday her verdict on whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to the United States, where he could face up to 175 years in jail for the publication of classified information on the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as thousands of US diplomatic cables between 2010 and 2011.

Assange’s extradition trial ended at London’s Old Bailey court on October 1 after his defense team spent four weeks trying to prove that Assange was being indicted for political reasons.

Although the judge presiding the hearing will hand over her verdict on his extradition on Monday morning at London’s Old Bailey courthouse, UK Home Office Minister Priti Patel will have the final say in case Baraitser grants the request filed by the US.