The decision comes as a major blow to Assange’s effort to prevent his extradition to face espionage charges in the US. However, his finance immediately expressed that an appeal would be launched against the court’s ruling. Assange is wanted in the US over the publication of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011.
Senior judges found that, earlier this year, a then-district judge had had her decision influenced by the risk of Assange being held in highly-restrictive prison conditions if he was to be extradited to the US.
In their ruling on Friday, the senior judges sided with the US authorities after it was assured that Assange would not face those strictest conditions unless he was to commit an act in the future that made such conditions necessary.
Lord Burnett said, “That risk is in our judgement excluded by the assurances which are offered. It follows that we are satisfied that, if the assurances had been before the judge, she would have answered the relevant question differently.”
Allowing the appeal, the judges ordered the case to be remitted to Westminster magistrates court, then on to the secretary of state who will determine whether or not Assange should be extradited
