UK Interior Minister Signs US Bid To Extradite Julian Assange

Britain's interior minister said Thursday he had certified the US request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on espionage grounds in a procedural move that opens the way for a court battle.

The US Justice Department confirmed on Tuesday that it had submitted a formal extradition request. British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said he signed it on Wednesday.

The final decision on whether Assange can be extradited will rest with the courts. The next hearing in the Australian former computer hacker's case is on Friday.

The 47-year-old had been sheltering in Ecuador's embassy in London for seven years until his arrest on April 11 when Quito finally withdrew his asylum.