After four days of legal arguments, both sides wrapped up their submissions in a London court to prepare for a three-week hearing involving witnesses
The extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange adjourned Thursday to give lawyers more time to gather evidence before returning to court in May.
On Thursday, lawyers for the Australian citizen sought to drive home the point that their client was being charged with a political offense and should be protected from extradition to the U.S., where he faces 18 charges, including hacking into a Pentagon computer. The U.S. government’s desire to prosecute Assange is therefore political in nature and his extradition should be blocked, the lawyer said.
Throughout the four days, Assange visibly struggled to follow proceedings because of poor acoustics in the courtroom and fatigue. His lawyers say he is on medication and mentally vulnerable.Assange, 48, sat in the dock at the rear of the court behind thick glass, looking only at the backs of the lawyers’ heads.
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