British judge rejects US extradition request for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
by Jerry Dunleavy, Justice Department Reporter |
| January 04, 2021 06:17 AM
A British judge ruled Monday that Julian Assange should not be extradited to the U.S. to face criminal charges brought by the Justice Department.
The ruling was handed down by Judge Vanessa Baraitser of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court following months of hearings and after a morning appearance by Assange at the Old Bailey courthouse in London.
She highlighted the isolated conditions he would likely face in the U.S. would be "oppressive" and a risk to his mental health, saying the Wikileaks founder was “a depressed and sometimes despairing man†who had the “intellect and determination†to circumvent any suicide prevention measures taken by the authorities.
Assange, 49, was charged under the 1917 Espionage Act as well as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/british-judge-rejects-us-extradition-request-for-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange
