Extradition treaties generally have an exemption for "political offenses," which in this context has historically meant crimes against the state, such as espion

Extradition treaties generally have an exemption for "political offenses," which in this context has historically meant crimes against the state, such as espionage, treason, sedition and rebellion. Even acts that would normally be criminal can be exempt from extradition if they were carried out as part of a larger political crime (like rebellion). These sorts of exemptions date all the way back to the mid-1800s, and are standard, in my limited understanding. The US-UK extradition treaty goes even further and states that extradition will not be granted when the charges are politically motivated: > extradition shall not be granted if the competent authority of the Requested State determines that the request was politically motivated I don't think anyone can deny with a straight face that the prosecution of Assange is politically motivated. 1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extradition-treaty-between-the-uk-and-the-usa-with-exchange-of-notes https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extradition-treat...