Russia: Assange's extradition ruling 'shameful'; US DoJ 'pleased'
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Russian FM says UK court's decision to extradite Assange to US is' shameful', While the US hailed the decision following action it made to overrule the previous UK court's decision.
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Activists gathered outside the courthouse in London erupted in protest after the news of the decision filtered outside (Source: AFP)
The US Justice Department said on Friday that it is "pleased" by the London High Court's decision to overrule an earlier ruling that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could not be extradited to the US.
A spokesperson added, "We are pleased by the ruling, and have no further comment."
Russian FM says UK court's decision to extradite Assange to US 'shameful'
The decision by a London court to allow Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, to be extradited to the United States is "shameful," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
#Opinion by Maria #Zakharova:
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) December 10, 2021
💬 The UK High Court has authorised #JulianAssange's the extradition to the US.
❗ This shameful verdict as part of the political case is yet another manifestation of the Anglo-Saxon tandem’s cannibalistic worldview.
🔗 https://t.co/kmolHNe8lD pic.twitter.com/R0KoHDoqAJ
Zakharova wrote on Telegram, "This shameful verdict in the political case against the journalist and activist is yet another manifestation of the cannibalistic worldview of the Anglo-Saxon tandem," adding that "The West has had a worthy commemoration of the Human Rights Day and the end of their Summit for Democracy."
Russian Foreign Ministry tweeted:
Sad news on Human Rights Day for all those who sincerely advocate their protection. Today UK High Court gave a green light to the extradition of Julian #Assange to the #US. We are confident that the @OSCE_RFoM should keep this issue under close Control 📸Henry Nicholls, Reuters pic.twitter.com/z7juAyIsEG
— Russian Mission OSCE (@RF_OSCE) December 10, 2021
Earlier in the day, the US government overturned a block on the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from Britain to face trial for publishing top-secret documents exposing war crimes perpetrated by the US and its allies across the globe, although options to appeal remain open to his legal team.
Washington presented the challenge after a lower court judge in London ruled in January that the 50-year-old journalist would be a suicide risk in the US justice system.
Assange’s fiancee, Stella Moris, denounced the decision as a "grave miscarriage of justice," as quoted by Wikileaks on Twitter.
Julian Assange fiancee @StellaMoris1: “How can it be fair, how can it be right, how can it be possible, to extradite Julian to the very country which plotted to kill him?” #FreeAssangeNOW #AssangeCase https://t.co/0K3ojEkwaK pic.twitter.com/b2q7Nz6RwL
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) December 10, 2021
Activists gathered outside the courthouse in central London erupted in protest after the news of the decision filtered outside.
“This is an utterly shameful development that has alarming implications not only for Assange’s mental health but also for journalism and press freedom around the world,” wrote Rebecca Vincent, who has been monitoring the extradition hearing for Reporters Without Borders and was in the courtroom on Friday.
