WikiLeaks member in Geneva for Julian Assange’s ‘last stand’
A WikiLeaks official has come to Geneva to once again denounce the “persecution” of Julian Assange, a week ahead of a new decision by the High Court of Justice in London on his extradition. “This is the last stand,” he declared on Wednesday.
In the absence of Stella Assange, the wife of the Wikileaks founder who was supposed to be in Geneva but stayed in London due to fatigue, Kristinn Hrafnsson reminded the press that Assange had been fighting for his freedom for 13 years.
He highlighted the “revenge” and “political persecution” by the United States against the Australian, alleging that they had sought to execute him in 2017. Should he be detained in this country in poor health, Julian Assange will face “conditions that will kill him,” Hrafnsson said.
Hrafnsson also criticised the double standards applied to British extraditions for political crimes. He further condemned a High Court judge for previously favouring extradition based on the belief that American guarantees of imprisonment were “worthless”. The head of WikiLeaks said that he is “not very optimistic” that the two judges hearing the case on Tuesday and Wednesday will hold a different view.
Stella Assange has visited Geneva several times in recent years. Viewing her husband as a “hostage”, she has urged Switzerland to take action to prevent his extradition to the United States.
Up to 175 years in prison
Julian Assange has been held for around five years in a high-security prison near London. He was arrested by the British police after taking refuge for seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Hrafnsson criticised the Ecuadorian authorities for letting the WikiLeaks founder go in exchange for a billion dollars in loans and the British authorities for using an obscure “hacking” charge.
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UN rapporteur: Assange being set up to be ‘burnt at the stake’
The Australian government is also calling for the prosecution of its citizen to be halted. Julian Assange is facing charges in the United States for publishing over 700,000 confidential documents on US activities, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is charged with espionage and could face up to 175 years in prison. “Even if he had only received these documents, he would be considered guilty in the eyes of the United States,” said Hrafnsson.
Several independent UN experts have warned that Julian Assange is under threat of torture. According to Hrafnsson, Assange expected to be “attacked” by Washington after his manoeuvre. “And these attacks continue,” he added.
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