[Dismas]

Britain's Supreme Court will allow Assange to appeal the decision to extradite him to the U.S., where he faces a number of charges relating to WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday was given the chance to challenge at Britain's highest court a decision allowing him to be extradited to the United States to face 18 criminal charges including breaking a spying law.

U.S. authorities want Australian-born Assange, 50, currently in jail in London as he awaits a ruling on his extradition, to face trial on 18 counts relating to WikiLeaks’ release of vast troves of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables which they said had put lives in danger.

In December, the High Court in London overturned a lower court's ruling that he should not be extradited because his mental health problems meant he would be at risk of suicide.

While High Court judges refused him permission for a direct appeal to the Supreme Court on their decision, they said his case raised an issue of legal importance that he could ask the United Kingdom's top court to rule on.

This means the Supreme Court will have to decide whether or not it should hear his challenge.

Read More: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/wikilea...022-01-24/