British High Court rules that Assange can seek Appeal to Supreme Court

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Monday December 05, 2011 18:40

by Ciaron

Today, Veterans for Peace, Catholic Workers, Occupy London and other anti-war activists gathered outside the High Court in London in solidarity with WikiLeaks activist Julain Assange. Julian has spent the past 363 days in England under house arrest without charge. A secret U.S. Grand Jury continues to sit in Virginia pursuing indictments. Leading U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gringrich has stated "Julian Assange is engaged in terrorism. He should be treated as an enemy combatant." We believe the U.S., British, Swedish and Australian governments are planning to do just that! We are all weary of the war which has now entered its second decade. We need to question the lies of our war making governments, defend the human rights and offer solidarity to those resisters like Julian Assange and Bradley Manning who are being defamed and pursecuted for exposing the nature of these wars in which our governments remain complicit

"Democracy Now": Julian Assange’s Attorney Gareth Peirce Speaks about Imminent British Court Decision on Sweden’s Request to Extradite Assange

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/11/1/exclusive_ju...weden

Julian Assange statement on exiting the High Court./ Support singing "I Shall be Released"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2011/dec/05/julia...T3487

***UK Indymedia Dec 5th. High Court rules that Assange can seek Appeal to Supreme Court

Julian Assange was back at the Royal Courts of Justice in London today seeking permission - from the High Court judges who dismissed his appeal against extradition in November - to take his case to the Supreme Court. They haven't actually allowed this, but they're allowing him to ask the Supreme Court directly for leave to appeal, on one of the two points raised.

THE ISSUES AND COURT RULING

The two points on which Assange's case was being made - that there are issues of 'general public importance' - are as follows:

1) Whether a European Arrest Warrant issued by a partisan prosecutor working for the executive (i.e. not an independent judge or investigating magistrate in the civil law system) is a valid Part 1 Warrant issued by a "judicial authority" within the meaning of sections 2(2) & 66 of the Extradition Act 2003?

* This point argues that the decision goes against parliamentary intent in the 2003 Extradition Act (see High Court Ruling).

2) Whether a person in respect of whom no decision to prosecute has been taken can be said to be ’accused’ within the meaning of sections 2(3)(a) of the Extradition Act 2003?

My understanding is that the second of these points was dismissed by the judges, but that they have allowed Assange to try to seek a ruling from the Supreme Court on the first point.

ARTICLE CONITNUED......
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/12/489835.html

***More footage of support outside of court

http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/monde/20111205.OBS5988/v....html