LONDONA British judge rejected a U.S. request to extradite Julian Assange on spying charges, saying the WikiLeaks founder would be at risk of suicide if extradition was granted.
The decision marks a major setback in Washingtons pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder for publishing secret documents relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A lawyer for the U.S. government said it would appeal, setting the stage for another hearing in the coming months at the High Court in London.
Delivering her ruling Monday after months of sporadic hearings because of the coronavirus pandemic, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said Mr. Assange has already toyed with suicide and the prospect of detention in isolation in the U.S. would likely rekindle those thoughts. She said he has the intellect and determination to get around anti-suicide protocols in U.S. jails.
The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man who is genuinely fearful about his future, she said, rejecting the U.S. extradition request.
In her ruling, Judge Baraitser rejected all of Mr. Assanges other defenses against extradition, saying there was no reason to think he wouldnt get a fair trial and the offenses he was alleged to have committed would be prosecutable in the U.K., too.
