UK: Julian Assange, not extradited, but not released

The joy of Assange supporters after British justice refused to extradite the Australian to the United States.

REUTERS - HENRY NICHOLLS

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

Despite his refusal to extradite him to the United States, the British justice decided on Wednesday to keep the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, in detention pending the examination of the appeal filed by the United States who want to try him for the massive distribution of confidential documents.

Publicity

Forty-eight hours after

the victory won on Monday by the

49-year-old

Australian

, "

It's a huge disappointment,

" responded his partner Stella Morris.

The lawyer, who had two children with Julian Assange, again called on the US Department of Justice to "

drop the charges

"

against him and on the President of the United States to

"

pardon

" him.

Citing the risk of suicide of the founder of WikiLeaks in the American prison system, British judge Vanessa Baraitser on Monday, January 4, refused his extradition to the United States.

In the process, the American authorities notified the court of their intention to appeal.

On Wednesday January 6, the magistrate considered that there are "

serious reasons to believe that if Mr. Assange was released today, he would not go to court to face the appeal procedure

We want it to end, but we are confident that justice will prevail,

" reacted to the exit of the court the editor of Wikileaks, Kristinn Hrafnsson.

Electronic bracelet…

At the hearing, prosecution representative Clair Dobbin stressed that Julian Assange, who "

considers himself above the law

", has the "

resources

" to flee, highlighting the offer of asylum. policy made by Mexico.

A risk dismissed by Julian Assange's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, who pleaded that his client had "

all the reasons

" not to evade British justice which ruled in his favor on Monday.

Invoking the family life which awaits him outside, he proposed his placement under surveillance by electronic bracelet, in vain.

🚨 British justice has just refused the release on bail of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks.

This court decision made his continued detention arbitrary!

We must stay mobilized: #FreeAssange https://t.co/RH4WIIYlfS

- Amnesty France (@amnestyfrance) January 6, 2021

Julian Assange was arrested by British police in April 2019 after spending seven years in seclusion at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had taken refuge while on bail.

He feared extradition to the United States or Sweden, where he has faced rape charges that have since been dropped.

The Australian, supported by a number of press freedom organizations, faces 175 years in prison in the United States for having disseminated, from 2010, more than 700,000 classified documents on American military and diplomatic activities , especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

► To read also: The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, is he a spy or a symbol of the freedom to inform?

UK: Julian Assange, not extradited, but not released

UK: Julian Assange, not extradited, but not released

Electronic bracelet…

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