Julian Assange Faces Judgment Day Over U.S. Extradition

Assange could be deported within 24 hours of the decision, but he could also be released, or find himself again bogged down in months of legal battles.

Demonstrators hold banners during a rally in support of Julian Assange in front of the U.S Embassy in Berlin, on Feb. 20, 2024. Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo

Hundreds of protesters have gathered at London’s High Court to hear if WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange will be extradited to the United States over the mass leak of secret U.S. documents—the culmination of 13 years of legal battles.

Two judges are set to declare on May 20 whether they are satisfied by U.S. assurances that Mr. Assange, 52, would not face the death penalty and could rely on the First Amendment right to free speech if he was tried for spying in the U.S.