International
Assange will not yet be extradited to the United States when the London High Court postpones his decision
The High Court of London chose on Tuesday to postpone its final decision on the appeal of the case of the Australian journalist Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks portal, so he will not be extradited to the United States immediately.
Judges Victoria Sharp and Adam Johnson, who evaluated the parties’ arguments for several weeks, considered that an eventual appeal by Assange could partially prosper, so they offer the United States Government the opportunity to “offer guarantees” against those arguments.
According to the ruling, the court has given the U.S. Government three weeks to give satisfactory guarantees that Assange will be able to argue in his defense the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, relating to the protection of freedom of expression.
Guarantees will also be needed that the Australian will not be harmed in the trial because of his nationality, that he will be granted the same protections of the First Amendment as a U.S. citizen and that the death penalty will not be imposed.
If those guarantees are not given, then Assange will be granted authorization to appeal, but if they are offered, the parties will have the opportunity to present new observations at a hearing on May 20, in order to make a decision on the appeal.
However, the judges dismissed some of the grounds for the appeal, including Assange’s arguments that his case responds to his political opinions.
The magistrates had to evaluate the arguments presented by the parties at two court hearings last February in order to decide whether to support or revoke the ruling issued on June 6, 2023 by Judge Jonathan Swift.
That magistrate denied Assange the possibility of continuing to appeal in the United Kingdom last year and gave his approval to the delivery of Assange to the United States.
Assange’s extradition was signed in June 2022 by the then British Minister of the Interior Priti Patel.
The United States requests that Assange be extradited for 18 crimes of espionage and computer intrusion, after his explosive revelations from his portal, which between 2010 and 2011 revealed alleged U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to Assange’s defense, these crimes are punishable by 175 years in prison in the United States.
After the ruling was heard, the journalist’s wife, Stella Assange, said at the gates of the court, before a crowd of followers, that her husband is a “political prisoner.”
“He is a journalist and is persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war in human lives” and this case “is a sign to all of you that if you expose the interests that drive the war, they will come for you,” he added.
Assange was arrested for the first time in 2010 at the request of Sweden for a case that has been closed. In 2012 he took refuge at the Embassy of Ecuador in London, but was arrested in 2019 by the British Police, once that country withdrew his asylum status, and since then he has been in prison.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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