The prosecution will have the possibility to appeal the judge’s decision to the High Court, now that her judgement has been handed down. There is now also the…
Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States to face charges of espionage and conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said on the morning of 4 January 2021. The decision was made purely on the basis that the WikiLeaks publisher was at too high a risk of suicide or self-harm if he is extradited. The judge accepted that Assange would likely be subjected to high levels of isolation as well as Special Administrative Measures both before and after trial in the US that would severely impact his mental health. The judge accepted testimony that Assange was on the autism spectrum, albeit on the high functioning end, and that both his own mental condition combined with his likely treatment in the US would pose an unacceptable risk to his mental health. During the extradition hearings in 2020 the court heard experts and other witnesses testify that Assange would likely face solitary confinement in both pre-trial detention and, should he be convicted, post-trial detention.
