Assange, cleanshaven and wearing a blue suit, raised a fist to acknowledge supporters in Westminster Magistrates Court. ADHis attorney Mark Summers argued that the charges against Assange, for which his extradition is sought, are on their face “political offenses.” Extradition would thus be unlawful under a 2003 treaty between the two countries, he said. ADThe political-offense argument has long been expected, with analysts saying that it offers Assange his best legal argument against extradition. That fact may give the U.K. courts some pause.”ADThe issue under British domestic law, legal experts said, is not whether the offense is a political one, but whether the prosecution is politically motivated. But “political statements are not the same thing as political offenses,” he said.

Source: Washington Post October 21, 2019 21:09 UTC