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WASHINGTON’S bid to extradite Julian Assange has cost the British taxpayer more than £300,000 in court, prosecutor and prison fees.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), acting on behalf of the US Department of Justice, splashed out £151,000 on barristers alone as part of the case to extradite the Wikileaks founder.
In January a district judge ruled that Mr Assange could not be removed to the US on health grounds. The US is appealing against the decision.
According to investigative site Declassified UK, which obtained the prosecution costs via a freedom of information request to the CPS, another £22,000 of public money was spent on expert witness contributions as well as £5,000 on transcripts.
Combined with court costs and money spent locking up Mr Assange in Belmarsh prison, Declassified reports that the costs of the extradition case total at least £317,000.
A CPS spokesman told Declassified: “We have a legal obligation to assist, advise and conduct all extradition proceedings on behalf of foreign authorities.”
