WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will fight a decision to knock back an extradition appeal after a UK judge found he could be handed over to the United States to face espionage charges.

British High Court Justice Jonathan Swift handed down a three-page decision on Tuesday, rejecting the 51-year-old’s claim the extradition order violated international law.

Assange has until Tuesday to launch a second appeal, which will be dealt with by a panel of two judges with a public hearing.

“On Tuesday next week, my husband Julian Assange will make a renewed application for appeal to the High Court,” Assange’s wife Stella said in a statement.

“We remain optimistic that we will prevail and that Julian will not be extradited to the United States.”

Assange has been held in a London prison since 2019 after thousands of documents were leaked in 2010 about US operations in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

In 2021, a UK judge ruled Assange should not be extradited to the US due to concerns for his mental health, but the decision was overturned on appeal.

Assange has also applied to the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition.

– AAP