In an interview with the SonntagsBlickExternal link published on Sunday, Nils Melzer said that the Swiss government wanted to avoid taking a position on Assange as it could risk American retaliation on the country’s financial sector. The Zurich native warned that “keeping quiet is certainly not in Switzerland’s long-term interest”.
With its democratic, humanitarian and human rights tradition, Switzerland “could be clearer also in the face of powerful states, and call for respect for the fundamental norms of international law using diplomatic channels,” emphasised the independent UN expert and professor of international law. He also pointed out that the Geneva City Parliament had wanted to offer Julian Assange asylum.
Recently, Melzer (who has visited Assange several times) concluded that torture had been inflicted on the founder of WikiLeaks. He also felt that his survival was now in jeopardy. According to Melzer, Assange is under 24-hour video surveillance, isolated from “any friendly, familiar contact” and kept in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day. In addition, he has no access to his American lawyers or to the prosecution’s case file.
175 years in prison
Assange has been held in London’s Belmarsh high security prison since April, sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for violating the conditions of his bail.
He spent seven years in Ecuador’s London embassy after the country had granted him asylum. During this time he avoided extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault investigation. Assange was removed from the premises by British police on April 11. The Swedish prosecutor’s office announced in November that it would not pursue charges for lack of evidence.
The British court is due to decide shortly whether or not to authorise the extradition of the Australian to the United States on spying charges. In 2010, WikiLeaks had published more than 700,000 confidential documents on US military and diplomatic activities. These included references to human rights violations. Assange could be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison in the US for violating anti-espionage laws.
More
More
Geneva politicians vote to propose Julian Assange asylum
This content was published on
The Geneva city parliament has adopted a motion demanding that the Swiss government offer asylum to controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Arrest of Wikileaks founder Assange is ‘very shocking’
This content was published on
Julian Assange's arrest in London is disturbing, as he “told the truth” and revealed criminal practices, says a former Swiss senator and prosecutor.
Better whistleblower protections face resistance in Swiss parliament
This content was published on
Switzerland’s House of Representatives has knocked down a government proposal to strengthen whistleblower protections, drawing strong criticism.
This content was published on
Workplace whistleblowers are to be better protected by law. But a transparency group says the move does not go far enough.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.