Next week, court proceedings start on whether to extradite Julian Assanges from the UK to the US where he is accused of espionage. On Thursday, Assange's defense team held a press conference in the French capital.

The defense team outlined why they believe the ongoing legal process against the Wikileaks founder is unfair and highlighted, among other things, Assange's failing health and several alleged violations of his rights while in British prison, writes The Guardian.

Requires calls with Macron

French top lawyer Éric Dupond-Moretti, who is part of Assange's stable, said, among other things, that Assange's situation concerns "the status and fate of all journalists" and that the situation is so serious that it requires a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The group revealed that they are working on formulating a "concrete requirement" on Macron to grant Assange political asylum in France, where he has, among other things, resident children.

Claims that the United States attracted with pardon

Earlier this week, Assange's defense team claimed that US President Donald Trump promised to pardon the Wikileaks founder if he publicly claimed that Russia was not involved in the 2016 Democratic Party mail server hacking attack.

The claim was submitted as evidence during a preliminary hearing before the upcoming court hearings.

However, the White House has denied that such a proposal has been presented to Assange.