A British judge on Wednesday formally approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face spying charges. The case will now go to Britain’s interior minister for a decision, and the WikiLeaks founder still has legal avenues of appeal.
The order comes after the U.K. Supreme Court last month refused Assange permission to appeal against a lower court’s ruling that he could be extradited.
A judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court issued the order in a brief hearing. Home Secretary Priti Patel will decide whether to grant the extradition.
The move doesn't exhaust the legal options for Assange, who has sought for years to avoid a trial in the U.S. on charges related to WikiLeaks’ publication of a huge trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
His lawyers have four weeks to make submissions to Patel, and can also seek to appeal to the High Court.
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