STORY: Assange faces further wait for appeal against extradition to U.S.
SHOOTING TIME: March 26, 2024
DATELINE: March 27, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:47
LOCATION: London
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP (English): ZHANG BONING, Xinhua correspondent
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): Protesters
3. various of protesters
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): STELLA ASSANGE, Julian Assange's wife
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): DAVE PUTSON, Protester

STORYLINE:

STANDUP (English): ZHANG BONING, Xinhua correspondent
"On Tuesday morning, the British High Court in London handed down its judgement on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
According to the ruling, Assange faces a further wait to find out whether he can bring an appeal against his extradition to the United States. It is 11.30 in the morning, and as we can see, people have gathered behind me to protest against the extradition and support Assange."

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): Protesters
"Free, free Julian Assange. Free, free Julian Assange.
There's only one decision. No extradition."

According to the Tuesday ruling, a decision on the appeal has been adjourned to May 20 as the court is seeking assurances from the United States that Assange could rely on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and he would not be sentenced to death if convicted.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): STELLA ASSANGE, Julian Assange's wife
"What the courts have done has been to invite a political intervention from the United States, to send a letter saying it's all okay. I find this astounding.
Julian is a political prisoner. He is a journalist, and he is being persecuted because he exposed the true costs of war in human lives. This case is a retribution. It is a signal to all of you that if you expose the interests that are driving war, they will come after you.
The Biden administration should not issue assurances. They should drop the shameful case that should never have been brought. Julian should never have been imprisoned for a single day. This is a shame on every democracy."

Assange is wanted by the United States on allegations of disclosing national defense information following WikiLeaks's publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked military documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars a decade ago. 

The 52-year-old has been held at southeast London's high-security Belmarsh Prison since 2019. 

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): DAVE PUTSON, Protester
"I think it's a wrong decision. I think he should have been freed. I think he should have been freed five years ago. I don't think he should be incarcerated at all.
If he is incarcerated in America, if he's extradited to America, that's an attack on journalism worldwide.
We will be back in May. And we will be back every time until it's finished, and we can actually get the result that we want and Julian Assange deserves, and press freedom deserves."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from London.
(XHTV)