A British judge on Monday rejected a request to extradite US WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, arguing that he was likely to commit suicide if sent abroad to face espionage charges.
District Judge Vanessa Barotser also called the move “cruel” because of Assange’s mental health – but the US government says it will appeal the ruling.
U.S. Prosecutors have charged Assange with 17 counts of espionage and one count of computer misuse in connection with the release of leaked WikiLeaks military and diplomatic documents a decade ago. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
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Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Freedom of speech is entitled to the First Amendment for publishing leaked documents exposing the wrongdoings of the military.
Although the judge rejected the defense claims that Assange was protected by the guarantee of free speech, he said “his conduct, if proven, would be tantamount to a crime under this jurisdiction, which would not be protected by his right to freedom of speech.”
But Barrettser said Assange suffered from clinical depression that led to U.S. The potential for loneliness in prison will become more intense.
Assange has the “intelligence and determination” to prevent the officers from taking suicide measures, the judge said.
Assange’s legal troubles began in 2010, when he was arrested in London at the request of Sweden, who wanted to interrogate him on charges of rape and sexual assault by two women. In 2012, to avoid being sent to Sweden, Assange sought refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy, where he was out of reach of UK and Swedish officials – but effectively an inmate, unable to leave a small diplomatic mission in the Tony Knightsbridge area of London.
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The relationship between Assange and his hosts came to an end, and in April 2019 he was expelled from the embassy.
Sweden dropped the sexual assault probe in November 2019 because time had passed, but Assange remains in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison, and was brought to court in a prison van during an extradition hearing.
The Associated Press contributes to this report.
