He's been pursued by the United States government for more than a decade, and now Julian Assange is closer than ever to being extradited there on a string of charges including espionage.
The 50-year-old WikiLeaks co-founder faces what amounts to life in prison if he's found guilty of publishing highly classified US defence documents.
Today, international law expert Donald Rothwell on what's next for the Australian, and the implications for free speech if he ultimately ends up in an American jail.
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Professor Donald Rothwell, international law expert, Australian National University College of Law