Security News > 2021 > August > US govt scores a point against Assange in run-up to extradition appeal showdown

Julian Assange has lost a legal scrap in court, this time over the US government's attempt to expand its grounds for extraditing him from England to stand trial in America.

Uncle Sam is ultimately hoping to overturn a decision made in January blocking Assange's extradition on mental health grounds.

Back in January, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser accepted Professor Michael Kopelman's view that Assange was likely to take his own life if extradited, describing that as "a well-informed opinion carefully supported by evidence and explained over two detailed reports."

Kopelman had initially concealed the fact that Assange had secretly fathered two children with a supporter of the WikiLeaks chief.

Fitzgerald's written arguments can be viewed on an Assange supporters' blog, here.

Assange is wanted for trial by the Americans on allegations he colluded with ex-US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in an attempt to crack hashed passwords for the Pentagon's SIPRnet; see the large bolded paragraph from previous reporting for details.

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https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/08/12/assange_extradition_latest/