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Assange, 51, is wanted by U.S. authorities on 18 charges
relating to WikiLeaks' release of vast troves of confidential
U.S. military records and diplomatic cables.
Britain has given the go-ahead for his extradition and a judge
at London's High Court ruled this week that Assange had no legal
grounds to challenge the decision, according to a court order
published on Friday.
However, his wife Stella Assange said there will be a hearing
next week at which Assange will again appeal against the
decision to extradite him.
"We remain optimistic that we will prevail and that Julian will
not be extradited to the United States where he faces charges
that could result in him spending the rest of his life in a
maximum security prison for publishing true information that
revealed war crimes committed by the U.S. government," she said
on Twitter.
In January 2021, a British judge ruled Australian-born Assange
should not be extradited, saying his mental health meant he
would be at risk of suicide if convicted and held in a maximum
security prison.
But that decision was overturned after an appeal by U.S.
authorities who gave a package of assurances, including a pledge
he could be transferred to Australia to serve any sentence.
The extradition was signed off by the then-British interior
minister last June.
WikiLeaks first came to prominence in 2010 when it released
hundreds of thousands of secret classified files and diplomatic
cables in what was the largest security breach of its kind in
U.S. military history.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by William James)
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