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Supporters of Julian Assange protest outside the Royal Court in London
Photo: PETER NICHOLLS / REUTERS
The legal dispute over the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange goes to the next instance.
The High Court in London has allowed Assange's lawyers' appeal.
The British Supreme Court must now decide whether extradition to the US authorities would be legal.
Earlier this year, a British court barred Assange's extradition to the United States on grounds of his mental health.
However, the USA had doubted the corresponding medical reports, lodged an appeal and was also successful.
An appeals court lifted the extradition ban last December.
Assange now wants to have this decision reviewed by the Supreme Court.
"This could be the last chance to stop Julian Assange's extradition to the US," wrote Rebecca Vincent, the London representative of press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders, on Twitter before announcing the decision.
"Whatever happens next, Britain also has a legal and moral responsibility."
Assange has been in Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison for more than two years.
The US judiciary is seeking his extradition in order to be able to put him on trial for allegations of espionage.
He is accused of having stolen and published secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with whistleblower Chelsea Manning.
He faces up to 175 years in prison in the United States.
More soon at SPIEGEL.de
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