WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has won the first stage of his effort to overturn a U.K. ruling that opened the door for his extradition to the U.S. to stand trial on espionage charges.
The High Court in London gave Assange permission to appeal the case to the U.K. Supreme Court. But, the Supreme Court must agree to accept the case before it can move forward.
The decision is the latest step in Assange's long battle to avoid a trial on a series of charges related to WikiLeaks' publication of classified documents more than a decade ago. As the BBC reports, Assange can now petition the U.K. Supreme Court for a hearing which would stall the extradition, for now.
Lord Burnett, a Lord Chief Justice for the court said Assange's case raised a legal question over assurances from the United States regarding how Assange would be treated in prison.
Assange's fiancee and mother of his two sons, Stella Moris, said that while they consider moving to this next step a win, they are "far from achieving justice in this case," according to the BBC.
