British judges at the High Court in London are set to rule on whether Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, will be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges. Assange, who has been battling the extradition bid for over a decade, launched a last-ditch legal bid to block the order. U.S. prosecutors are seeking his extradition in relation to 18 federal charges, including espionage and computer intrusion, after WikiLeaks published classified material in 2010 relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange's defense argues that his actions were protected under freedom of expression and that he was simply doing his job as a journalist by publishing the stolen files. Supporters of Assange staged demonstrations outside the London court, demanding his release and arguing that he would not receive a fair trial in the U.S. Press freedom campaigners have also called for the charges against him to be dropped. If extradited and convicted, Assange could face up to 175 years in prison, although prosecutors have said he would serve no more than 63 months. The High Court judges are expected to deliver their ruling in the coming days or weeks. Stella Assange, Julian's wife, has expressed concerns about his physical and mental wellbeing, stating that his life is at risk if he is extradited. Assange was not present at the High Court hearing due to his poor health.