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Jailed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange could be deported from Britain to the US within days, according to his wife Stella. She warned journalists in London about this on Thursday.

The 52-year-old awaits what could be the final hearing next week in the legal wrangling over his extradition from London’s High Court. The question is whether Assange will be given the opportunity in Great Britain to appeal against the British government’s extradition decision. He has been denied that until now.

According to Stella Assange, it is not clear whether a decision will be made immediately after the two-day hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday, during which both Assange’s lawyers and US lawyers will have their say. However, she fears that the verdict will be announced on Wednesday and the extradition process will begin immediately.

The American legal system wants to try him on charges of espionage. If convicted, he could face up to 175 years in prison.

Assange’s only option would then be to go to the European Court of Human Rights. There, his team will immediately file a request for an interim injunction if the legal process in Great Britain is exhausted by a negative ruling by the judges in London. However, there are significant concerns that the British government could ignore such an order. “Britain would have to break international law to do this,” Stella Assange said.

The legal wrangling over Assange has been going on for years. The US government accuses Assange of stealing and publishing classified material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, endangering the lives of US informants. Supporters see Assange as a journalist who exposed war crimes. Assange has been held in London’s Belmarsh prison since his arrest in April 2019. (sda/dpa)