He spent seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy and five years in prison, both in London. U.S. prosecutors want his next move to be to the U.S. But the High Court has delayed that.

Julian Assange's lawyers will begin their final U.K. legal challenge on Tuesday to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being sent to the United States to face spying charges.

Joshua Schulte was sentenced in what the U.S. government described as the biggest theft of classified information in CIA history and for possession of child sexual abuse images and videos.

Joshua Schulte, who represented himself in his retrial, told jurors that the CIA and FBI made him a scapegoat for an embarrassing public release of a trove of CIA secrets by WikiLeaks in 2017.

WikiLeaks said it would appeal. The decision is a big moment in Assange's years-long battle to avoid facing trial in the U.S. — though not necessarily the end of the tale.

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.

The WikiLeaks founder and attorney Stella Moris began a relationship after Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012. They have two sons together.

The WikiLeaks founder took refuge for seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He was removed in April 2019 and imprisoned while he awaited a decision on his extradition.