US appeals in UK court to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Lawyers from the United States have appealed in UK's high courtto extradite Wikileaks founder Julian Assange over spying and other criminal charges.

A London court had earlier declared that Assange could be a suicide threat if he is extradited to the US due to his mental health condition.

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The US has reportedly assured the courtwith a "package of assurances" asserting that Assange,50, will not be held in the high-security supermax prison in Colorado.

The USgovernment lawyers asked the UK high court to overturn the decision not to extradite the Wikileaks founder while assuring that Assange would receive "clinical and psychological treatment" and would be allowed to apply for prisoner transfer to his home country Australia.

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However, Assange's lawyers have said he could be held in another high-security prison and also that Australia had given no assurances that it would be ready to take him in.

As US lawyers put forward their argument in court, protesters reportedly filed outside in support of Assange.

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The controversial Australian is wanted in the United States on 18 criminal charges for releasing thousands of secret files relating to US military campaign in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Assange is currently held in UK's Belmarsh prison. He had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London for seven years but was arrested by British authorities in 2019 for breaching bail conditions.

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Sweden had earlier demanded his extradition over sex crime allegation, however, it was dropped later but the US continued to demand his extradition.

(With inputs from Agencies)