Walk past the Royal Courts of Justice in London on a week day and you will often spot small gatherings of people holding placards and handing out leaflets about a case being held inside. On Tuesday, there will be many such souls on the pavement, making no secret of their views on a case that has ramifications for journalism around the world.
Inside, in a packed court, two high court judges will hear arguments in an application for leave to appeal that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, should not be taken from the high-security Belmarsh prison to face a trial and a potential 175-year jail sentence in the US, where he faces 18 criminal counts for his alleged role in obtaining and disclosing classified documents.
