Reuters reported on Friday that court documents showed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange submitted an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to fight his extradition from the UK to the US.

"We confirm that an application has been received," the statement cited by Reuters said.

Assange has been unlawfully charged in the US with 17 counts of "espionage" and one count of computer misuse in connection with WikiLeaks' disclosure of tens of thousands of military and diplomatic documents - whereby Assange exposed the US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan - that whistleblower Chelsea Manning had disclosed. 

The maximum sentence for the charges is 175 years in jail.

Julian Assange's lawyer recently cited suicide as a possible outcome if the Australian is extradited to the #US on his espionage charges.
Here's a timeline of some key dates from Assange’s life.#JulianAssange #FreeAssange pic.twitter.com/FTSGibxwQO

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 30, 2021

Julian Assange's attorneys have previously launched an appeal to London on August 26 to stop his extradition to the US.

Julian Assange's lawyer recently cited suicide as a possible outcome if the Australian is extradited to the US on his espionage charges. 

On November 30, Declassified UK revealed in a report that four of the UK's most powerful government ministries have refused to say whether their officials have met with US authorities to discuss Julian Assange's case.

The Home Office, Cabinet Office, Foreign Office, and Ministry of Justice have all recently failed to inform parliament of any potential contact with their US counterparts on the issue of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to the report. 

The refusals cast further doubt on the politicization of Assange's legal case. Britain is a member of the US-dominated Five Eyes intelligence alliance and is closely aligned with the US government, which is seeking Assange's extradition.

Read more: Human chain formed around UK parliament in support of Julian Assange