Shropshire Star

Julian Assange’s partner seeks end to ‘nightmare’ of ‘threats and intimidation’

It came as the US Government won the latest round in its High Court bid to extradite the WikiLeaks founder.

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Stella Moris

Julian Assange’s partner has made a plea “for this nightmare to come to an end once and for all” as the US Government won the latest round in its High Court bid to extradite the WikiLeaks founder on espionage charges.

Stella Moris, who has two children with Assange, spoke outside the Royal Courts of Justice after a preliminary hearing as part of the US Government’s challenge to a decision by a British judge in January not to extradite him.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Lord Justice Holroyde ruled in favour of the US authorities and allowed them to expand their arguments for the main appeal, which will take place over two days in October.

After the ruling, Ms Moris said the court had not discussed why she fears “for my safety and the safety of our children and Julian’s life”.

She said: “The constant threats and intimidation that we have endured for years which has been terrorising us and has been terrorising Julian for over 10 years.

“Threats against me, threats against our children, death threats against Julian’s eldest son.

“Threats on Julian’s life, threats of 175-year prison sentence and the actual ongoing imprisonment for a journalist for doing his job.

Julian Assange
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Julian Assange appearing by video link at the High Court in London (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

“These are sustained threats to his life for the past 10 years. These are not just items of law, this is our lives.

“We have the right to exist. We have a right to live. We have a right for this nightmare to come to an end once and for all.”

Ahead of the hearing, Ms Moris accused the US Government of “exploiting the inherently unfair extradition arrangements with this country in order to arbitrarily prolong his imprisonment.

She added: “The imprisonment of an innocent man accused of practising journalism.”

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also joined protesters in front of the High Court ahead of the preliminary hearing.

A demonstrator at the High Court
A demonstrator outside the High Court in London (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He said: “The United States seems to have a sort of obsession with people who uncover the truths about US military presence around the world.

“I think they should wind their necks in and let Julian Assange go.

“I hope the court today gives a very clear signal that they will not allow the appeal by the United States and that Julian Assange will be allowed to go free.”

He was applauded by protesters who later shouted “free Julian Assange” and “jail the war criminals” to the sound of a beating drum as uniformed police looked on.

The US Government’s full appeal against the decision not to extradite Assange will now be heard at the High Court in October.

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