UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid signs US extradition order for Julian Assange

UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid has signed a request for Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange to be extradited to the US where he faces charges of computer hacking. 

Talking to BBC yesterday, the senior minister said, the final decision on WikiLeaks founder is now with the courts. Mr Javed said, he signed the extradition order and certified it and that will be going in front of the courts today.

The 47-year-old Australian was too ill to appear last month at a hearing at Westminster magistrates court in relation to the US request. The hearing



has been rescheduled for today, and depending on Assange’s condition, may take place at Belmarsh prison where he is being held.

Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot, who presides over a number of high-profile Indian extradition requests including that of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and diamond merchant Nirav Modi will be hearing the case.

The charges against Assange under the US Espionage Act accuse him of soliciting and publishing classified information and conspiring to hack into a government computer.