A supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a court hearing in London BAGHDAD, Apr 20 The extradition trial of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States may be politically motivated, Iraqi legal expert Ghanem al-Aifan told RIA Novosti. Assange's defense has until May 18 to present their arguments to the Interior Minister not to extradite him to the US.19:20Julian Assange is awaiting extradition to the United StatesA British court has issued a warrant for the extradition of Assange to the United States. According to an Iraqi expert, according to international law, «if the founder of WikiLeaks is listed in the UK in the status of an opposition figure to the United States or, in general, an activist and critic of another political regime, he cannot be extradited.» In this case, he must be protected and possess the immunity granted to him by the host country. However, if he was not registered as an opposition member, then according to the agreement between the two countries, the UK has the right to extradite him,» the lawyer said. if the world organization receives information about the danger to Assange's life. «But the law can be manipulated depending on the political situation. The relations between the United States and Great Britain are strong, and I think that London is not ready, in the light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, to do something that will affect his relations with Washington at a time when the British and American sides consider extremely necessary to each other,” said Ghanem al-Aifan. Journalist Julian Assange gained fame in 2006 in connection with his work on the WikiLeaks website, which was founded to publish classified documents. In 2010, the site released classified US military footage showing at least 18 civilians killed in the 2007 US helicopter attack in Baghdad. In 2010, the site also began publishing 250,000 US diplomatic documents. Assange, accused in Sweden in 2010 of sexual harassment and rape, has been hiding since June 2012 in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, fearing extradition. On the morning of April 11, 2019, he was detained at the request of the United States. Extradition hearings began on May 2, 2019. Shortly thereafter, the US authorities announced that they had filed new charges against Assange for 17 counts of violating the law on espionage and disclosure of classified information. London to extradite Assange to the US as a farce
