Julian Assange's lawyers are making a last-ditch effort to avoid his extradition to the United States, where he will be tried for revealing military secrets, the BBC reported.
During the two-day hearing at the High Court in London, Assange's team will present their case that he should be allowed to appeal in full.
There is no guarantee that this will be done, and if rejected, it could be handed over within weeks.
Supporters of the Wikileaks founder say he exposed wrongdoing, but the US says Assange put people's lives at risk.
A native of Australia, Assange's massive legal battle began in 2010 when Wikileaks released a trove of classified military files from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - including footage showing a United States helicopter firing on civilians in Baghdad.
For seven years, he hid in the Ecuadorian embassy in London before being arrested by the Metropolitan Police in 2019.
That year, the US sought his extradition from Britain, saying the revelations had put people's lives at risk.
Two years later, a British judge ruled that while the US had proven it had a legitimate criminal case against Assange, he could not be extradited because he might try to take his own life.
At this week's hearing, Assange's lawyers are expected to seek permission to challenge the extradition order signed by then UK Home Secretary Priti Patel almost two years ago.
If they fail to convince the judges that there is anything wrong with that order, Assange must be extradited within 28 days - unless they can persuade the European Court of Human Rights to temporarily ground the plane with a so-called "Rule 39" order ".
Nick Vamos, former head of the Crown Prosecution Service's extradition unit, said if the High Court threw out the case, US marshals could arrive in London within days.
Stella Assange told the BBC that her husband would not survive a US prison and that the case was politically motivated. "This case will determine whether he lives or dies," she said.
As of 2019, Mr. Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh Prison as his extradition case to the United States continues. /BGNES
Julian Assange in a last-ditch attempt to avoid extradition to the US
![Julian Assange in a last-ditch attempt to avoid extradition to the US](https://www.bgnesnews.com/storage/images/2024/02/20/2508/640X360-асанж.jpeg)