By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters] – Julian Assange’s wife, Priti Patel of the British Home Secretary, approved on Friday WikiLeaks founder extradition to the United States. She was to be tried for criminal charges.

U.S. authorities have charged Assange with 18 offenses, including spying. These relate to WikiLeaks’ publication of huge troves U.S. military records, diplomatic cables, and other documents that Washington claims put human lives in peril.

He is supported by his allies as an anti-establishment hero.

Stella, his wife, said that Assange would appeal the Home Office’s decision to approve Assange’s extradition because British courts had ruled it was not unjust and an abuse of process.

We’ll fight it. Stella Assange stated to reporters that they would pursue every avenue of appeal, calling the decision “travesty”. “I will dedicate my every waking hours to Julian’s defense until he is liberated and until justice has been served.”

In the beginning, Assange was deported from Britain by a British judge. Assange had a mental illness that made it possible for him to commit suicide.

This was overturned after an appeal. The United States had provided a series of assurances that included a promise to transfer him to Australia so that he would be able to complete any sentence.

According to the Home Office’s assertions, courts have not determined that extradition is incompatible with his human right, which includes his rights to a fair trial, freedom of expression and a fair trial, and that he will be treated accordingly.

Assange is an Australian national who has been fighting in Britain’s courts for over 10 years. This could go on for several months.

The appeal can be made to London’s High Court within 14 days. If the High Court approves a challenge, he may then seek to have his case heard by the United Kingdom Supreme Court or the European Court of Human Rights.

‘CHILLING MESSAGE’

Stella Assange stated, “We are not at the end the road here” and called Patel’s decision “a terrible day for British democracy and press freedom”.

Nick Vamos (the former Head of Extradition at Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service) stated that the High Court regularly overturns verdicts. Assange could claim that it was political motivated again and present new evidence such as the allegations that the CIA plotted to assassinate his character.

His claims were denied by the CIA.

Vamos stated to Reuters that he believed Vamos might gain some traction.

WikiLeaks became famous in 2010 when the U.S. published a military video showing an attack in Baghdad by Apache helicopters. The incident killed 12 people including two Reuters staff members.

In what was the biggest security breach in U.S. military record, it released secret files classified and diplomatic cables numbering in excess of tens of thousands.

U.S. security officers and prosecutors view Assange, who is a reckless enemy to the state, as someone whose actions have endangered the lives of those named in the leak.

According to his supporters, he believes he has been punished for embarrassing those in power. He faces 175 year imprisonment if convicted. The U.S. lawyers claim it could be as high as four or six years.

Amnesty International secretary-general Agnes Callamard said that Julian Assange would be at greatest risk if he was allowed to be extradited the U.S.

Australian officials said they would tell Washington and London to continue their efforts to end the matter.

Assange was wanted by Sweden to be extradited from Britain for sex-crimes allegations at the close of 2010. After losing the case in 2012, Assange fled to London’s Ecuadorean Embassy. He remained there for seven years.

In April 2019, he was arrested on grounds of breaching British bail terms, even though the Swedish charges against him were dropped. He is still in custody and has been fighting extradition.

He had two children while in Ecuadorian Embassy. His now-wife was also a father. In March, he got married at Belmarsh High Security Prison in London. The ceremony saw just four people attend, including two witnesses and two guards.