Live Updates: Amnesty International Calls Assange's Extradition Ruling 'Travesty of Justice'

A London High Court's decision to overturn an earlier ruling that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States is a black day for press freedom in America and around the world, San Francisco-based nonprofit Freedom of the Press Foundation said on Friday.

"These proceedings, and today's ruling, are a black mark on the history of press freedom. That United States prosecutors continued to push for this outcome is a betrayal of the journalistic principles the Biden administration has taken credit for celebrating," Trevor Timm, executive director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement.

He called prosecutorial actions against the whistleblower an abuse of the Espionage Act and "an embarrassment to basic ideals of justice and to core First Amendment values."

Freedom of the Press Foundation further urged the US Department of Justice to terminate its pursuit of prosecution of Assange and commit to not using the Espionage Act against journalists and their sources.

The whistleblower is wanted by the United States on espionage charges after WikiLeaks published thousands of classified documents that shed light on war crimes committed by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. If put on trial and convicted in the US, the Australian journalist faces up to 175 years in prison.

Assange has been on remand at Belmarsh high-security prison in southeast London since October 2020, after serving an 11-month sentence for breaking bail after staying in the Ecuadorean embassy in London for seven years.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be released on bail while awaiting appeal trial since he has not been convicted of any crime in the United Kingdom, John Rees, head of the Don’t Extradite Campaign, told Sputnik on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the London court upheld the US appeal on Assange's extradition, dismissing concerns raised about the journalist's health and lack of proper assurances from the US Department of Justice regarding his safety.

"I'm sure that the lawyers are considering another bail application, whether or not it will be successful, previous ones haven't been, I don't know. They certainly ought to be because what's happening now is punishment by process. This is somebody who has been convicted of no crime in this country, he is a remand prisoner, and he should be released on bail," Rees said.

He also confirmed that the extradition decision will be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Commenting on the matter to Sputnik, the IFJ said that "the criminalisation of whistleblowers and investigative journalists like Assange has no place in a democracy."

"Extraditing Assange to the US would endanger his life but also fundamental principles of press freedom. The IFJ supports any effort Assange's legal team may take to appeal the ruling." the watchdog added.