Hearings in the U.S. extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not go ahead next month as scheduled because of the coronavirus lockdown which prevents lawyers from attending court, a British judge decided on Monday.
FILE PHOTO: WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange leaves Westminster Magistrates Court in London, Britain January 13, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
Assange was dragged from the Ecuador embassy in London last year after a seven-year stand-off. He says he could spend decades in prison if convicted, and calls the case against him political and a threat to free speech. The United States says he put the lives of informants in danger by publishing secrets.
Judge Vanessa Baraitser told a hearing held by conference call on Monday that the case could not be argued properly as long as lawyers were unable to appear in person. She adjourned the case until May 4 when a new date will be fixed, noting that the Woolwich Crown Court where hearings last took place had availability for a three-week period only in November. Lawyers for both sides agreed to the delay.
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