Opinion by Mathew Carr

Feb. 21, 2024 — Any extradition of Julian Assange may not happen until after this year’s elections in the US and those in the UK by January, according to the logic from the debate in the High Court and mumblings outside.

Assange could be killed, persecuted in the US.

Hence the UK judges should think carefully … because Assange’s life is at risk.

The US may delay its extradition push because it is being attacked globally for its brutal, undemocratic war crimes and secret killings.

The world’s richest nation should abandon its plan to extradite Assange.

If that does not happen, the UK judges should not make a rash, knee-jerk decision today, for instance, to immediately extradite him…which could happen within 24 hours. Judges should carefully weigh options.

They need to ask. Did Assange really cause harm? Is he clearly protected from death? Being Australian, does he have free speech protections or can the UK insist he gets them somehow?

Assange exposed state crime…absolutely awful behavior such as the callous gunning down of innocent civilians, rendition, torture. He should be protected. The REAL perpetrators should be pursed hard by the law. That’s simply not happening, which is deeply unfair.

Assange should be given a little more freedom in the short term while this is sorted out, if he can’t be immediately released.

He’s already served a long-enough punishment, for any crimes he’s being accused of — hacking essentially and soliciting the exposure of secret crimes. He can be tried remotely here in Britain or in his home country Australia, for instance, if that is needed.

But in reality, it simply isn’t.

The US has successfully deflected scrutiny that ITs politicians and intelligence officers deserves for their brutality …onto Assange.

History will show it’s outrageous and history will paint Assange as a hero.

(Updated to make it more clear)