Crowdfunder Julian Assange: Latest News and Developments

Julian Assange's crowdfunder has gained significant attention worldwide, with many people wanting to know the latest news and developments.

The crowdfunder, launched in 2021, aims to raise £2 million to support Assange's legal fees, which are estimated to be around £1.3 million.

Assange's supporters believe that the crowdfunder is a vital way to ensure his freedom, as he faces a prolonged and complex extradition process.

The crowdfunder has been backed by several high-profile figures, including filmmaker Ken Loach and journalist John Pilger.

Julian needs the support of his home country to regain his freedom, as this is a political case that requires a political solution.

He's been in prison for 1502 days, with no end in sight and no way of knowing how many days to count down to a release.

Julian spends 22 hours a day in his cell, with only 2 hours of exercise time in a yard with bitumen pavement surrounded by cameras and razor wire.

Extradition to the US would mean being buried in the deepest, darkest hole of the US prison system, isolated forever.

A 175-year sentence is essentially a living death sentence, so desperate that the English court found it would drive him to take his own life.

We must do everything we can to ensure Julian never sets foot in a US prison, as extradition in this case is a matter of life and death.

The reality is that Julian's situation is dire, and we need to take action to support him and prevent his extradition.

Julian Assange's lawyers are preparing submissions to counter the US application to appeal the Magistrate Court's decision of 4 January 2021.

Anthony Albanese, the head of the main opposition party in Australia, is now calling for Julian to be freed after more than a decade of having his freedom denied.

The incoming Attorney General Merrick Garland could drop the charges against Julian entirely, aligning Biden's administration with Obama's on the WikiLeaks matter.

It's possible that Merrick Garland will see sense and drop the charges, as Julian's indictment is opposed by people within the administration.

The outgoing US prosecutor Zachary Terwilliger anticipated that the new Attorney General would look at the case afresh and determine whether the case should be continued.

The press and virtually every press freedom group have advocated for the US to end this prosecution because it criminalises journalism itself.

The case is also reportedly causing resignations within the administration due to its threat to the Constitution.

Julian Assange has filed an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court's ruling that he can be extradited to the US.

The High Court's decision was made on December 10th, upholding the Magistrates' Court's assessment that Julian Assange would be subjected to near total isolation in the US, which would cause his mental condition to deteriorate and increase the risk of suicide.

The High Court overturned the lower court's decision to block the extradition based on conditional assurances from the US State Department, which stated that the US retains the power to impose Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) and/or Administrative Maximum Prison (ADX) on Julian Assange.

Julian Assange's application for leave to appeal is currently under consideration by the High Court judges, who must certify that at least one of the Supreme Court appeal grounds is a point of law of general public importance.

Julian Assange has won the right to ask the Supreme Court to block his extradition to the US, with the High Court ruling that he has an arguable point of law.

The point of appeal concerns the assurances given by the US about how Julian would be treated by the US justice system if he was extradited.

The High Court granted Julian's request to certify the following point of law: "In what circumstances can an appellate court receive assurances from a requesting state which were not before the court of first instance in extradition proceedings."

Julian Assange's lawyers now have 14 days to appeal to the Supreme Court to hear the case.

The appeal hearing continued on Thursday, with Mark Summers QC arguing that Julian Assange would still be kept in oppressive conditions even if he was not in SAMs.

James Lewis, QC, for the US government, stated that diplomatic assurances are a solemn matter and are not dished out like Smarties.

Here is a timeline of the key events in the case:

This Sunday marks the second anniversary of Julian's incarceration in Belmarsh prison.

Julian has been a prisoner in Belmarsh for two years now, and it's hard to imagine the toll this has taken on him and his loved ones.

Julian's second anniversary in Belmarsh coincides with a significant milestone - a fundraiser has now surpassed £75,000 to help defend him against the US extradition appeal.

The funds raised will support new legal challenges, but the fight for Julian's freedom is far from over.

Julian's 50th birthday is on July 3rd, and it's a poignant reminder that he still hasn't spent a birthday at home, safe with his kids.

A severe risk remains that the lower court's decision could be reversed, and if Julian is extradited, it would be a death sentence.

Julian has been deprived of his liberty for 11 years, since his arrest without charge in December 2010.

This Sunday, let's remember the long and difficult journey Julian has been on, from being held in Wandsworth prison to being besieged at the Ecuadorian embassy.

The UN concluded in 2015 that the UK and Sweden were acting unlawfully by depriving Julian of his liberty, and demanded his freedom of movement be restored in February 2016.

Julian has been incarcerated in Belmarsh prison since April 11, 2019, under a Trump-administration indictment for exposing Bush-era war crimes.

This Sunday, let's recommit to supporting Julian's fight for freedom and justice.