The court ruled: Assange will not be extradited to the United States

The court ruled: Assange will not be extradited to the United States

A British judge has rejected the United States’ request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying it would be “oppressive” because of his mental health.

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that extradition would be “oppressive” because of Assange’s mental health.

Baraitser said today that Assange would most likely commit suicide if he was sent to the United States, the AP reported.

The U.S. government said it would appeal the decision. Journalist teams gathered earlier in front of the court, along with Assange's supporters.

The prosecution of Assange has been condemned by journalists and human rights groups, who say it undermines free speech around the world.

For his supporters, the 49-year-old Assange has become a symbol of the fight for freedom of information.

It remains to be seen what the attitude of the future U.S. President Joe Biden will be towards the founder of Wikileaks. A procedure was initiated against Assange under the presidency of Donald Trump. During Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, whose vice president Biden was, American courts gave up on prosecuting Assange.

However, 10 years ago, Biden compared Assange to a "high-tech terrorist". On April 11, 2019, the founder of WikiLeaks was expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he took refuge in 2012, and the British police immediately arrested him.

The United States has demanded the extradition of Assange, who faces a total of 18 counts in the US indictment, and faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted of espionage and treason for publishing secret state documents on US military and diplomatic activities, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.