The hearing to decide whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the United States, where he would face 18 espionage and computer misuse charges adding up to a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison, resumed at the London Central Criminal Court on Monday
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th September, 2020) The hearing to decide whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the United States, where he would face 18 espionage and computer misuse charges adding up to a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison, resumed at the London Central Criminal Court on Monday.
The trial started in February but was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is now being covered remotely by the media, due to social distancing measures in court.
Assange, who was brought into court from the maximum-security prison of Belmarsh, located in east London, is sitting behind a glass panel, away from his defense team, and only appeared on the video streaming to identify himself at the judge's request.
The hearing presided by judge Vanessa Baraitser is expected to last at least three weeks.
As it happened in the previous hearing, dozens of Assange supporters have gathered on Monday outside the court house in Old Bailey street to demand his release.
