Whistleblower organization WikiLeaks is concerned about the health status of its founder Julian Assange. He was transferred to the infirmary of London’s Belmarsh prison, where he is detained awaiting possible deportation to Sweden or the United States.
According to WikiLeaks, in the seven weeks that he has been in prison now, Assange has lost a lot of weight and his health, which was not great at all, has deteriorated further. Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison last month after Ecuador cancelled his asylum status and deported him to the embassy in London.
A Swedish court rejected a request yesterday in which Assange’s lawyer asks for a postponement of the hearing in which his case is being discussed. Sweden wanted to try him for two rapes in 2010. All those years were impossible because Assange had sought refuge in the embassy of Ecuador.
The US wants to prosecute Assange for espionage. Through WikiLeaks, hundreds of thousands of documents came out about American warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq. A British court would consider the American extradition request today but postponed the treatment until 12 June.
According to his lawyer, Assange is too ill to speak to the court from the prison even via video connection.