Countdown To Day X: Assange's Right To A Fair Trial

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team has asked the British High Court of Justice to reassess the risks that extradition poses to his right to a fair trial.

Editor’s Note: Ahead of a major appeal hearing before the British High Court of Justice on February 20 and 21, the “Countdown To Day X” series highlights key aspects of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s appeal against extradition to the United States.

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser unequivocally stated in her decision on the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that she had “no reason to doubt that the usual constitutional and procedural protections” would be applied by the United States government so that Assange “receives a fair trial.”

However, Assange’s defense rejects the court’s conclusion. During the February 20 hearing, they have asked the British High Court of Justice to reassess the risks that extradition poses to Assange’s right to a fair trial.

Attorneys for Assange are concerned that in the Eastern District of Virginia, where he was charged, a jury will be “drawn from a pool that has a high concentration of defense and intelligence employees and ex-employees, contractors, and their relatives.” The largest employer in Alexandria, Virginia, where the Eastern District courthouse is located, is the U.S. Defense Department.