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A London court refused to extradite Assange out of concern for his mental health. The court will decide today on a request to release the WikiLeaks founder on bail.
After the British judiciary refused to extradite Julian Assange to the US, the same court is now deciding on the release of the WikiLeaks founder. Lawyers for the 49-year-old man had previously requested that the native Australian be released on bail.
On Monday, the court rejected the US extradition request on humanitarian grounds but, to the misunderstanding of Assange supporters, did not classify the case as politically motivated. Rather, the court based the decision on Assange’s mental health and the conditions of detention that would await him in the United States. It is hoped that he will commit suicide in solitary confinement. An appeal can still be filed against the sentence, as well as against the decision in favor or against the release.
“Reporters Without Borders” awaits publication
“Reporters Without Borders” does not expect the US judiciary to have a great chance of success. “It is highly unlikely that an appointment in the United States will be successful,” said London Representative Rebecca Vincent. “I don’t see what new arguments the lawyers could present in court.” He hopes that the president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden, will be able to solve the prosecution of Assange when he takes office. The United States reacted with annoyance to the rejection of his extradition request and announced that it would continue its efforts to extradite Assange.
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, warned of a precedent “that denies investigative journalists the protection of press freedom and paves the way for their prosecution on espionage charges.” Monday’s verdict is dangerous. It is just a question of whether Assange is fit enough to withstand prison conditions in the United States, Melzer said in a statement.
The US judiciary accuses Assange of stealing and publishing secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan along with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, then Bradley Manning. He endangered the lives of American informants. His supporters, however, see him as an investigative journalist who has exposed war crimes.
