GENEVA, Jan 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, welcomed a British court’s refusal to extradite Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange to the United States, on the ground that he would be exposed to “oppressive” conditions.
“In the U.S., Assange would be exposed to conditions of detention, which are widely recognised to amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” said the expert.
Assange is currently being held at Belmarsh Prison in London, under a U.S. extradition request for espionage and computer fraud. The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, known as the Old Bailey, ruled that, Assange cannot be extradited to the United States “because of concerns over his mental health.”
“If extradited, he faces a sentence of up to 175 years in prison, under inhumane conditions of near total isolation,” Melzer said.
However, the UN expert said, the judgement sets an alarming precedent, denying investigative journalists the protection of press freedom and paving the way for their prosecution under charges of espionage.
“Hopefully this judgement will put an end to the persecution and imprisonment of Assange, as an individual. But in the big picture, it sets a devastating precedent, undermining press freedom, accountability and the rule of law,” the expert said.– NNN-AGENCIES
