JULIAN Assange will be extradited to the USA to face espionage charges after a lengthy legal battle, it has been confirmed.

The WikiLeaks founder has been formally served with an order by Westminster Magistrates’ Court after he spent years fighting to stay in Britain.

Assange has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.

The extradition order will need to be approved by Home Secretary Priti Patel, although Assange’s lawyers may yet appeal to the High Court.

Assange’s supporters – including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – have gathered outside to protest.

Assange is wanted in the US over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Assange, who married his fiancee Stella Moris last month, has been held in Belmarsh prison for three years since being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.