The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Assange’s bail bid refused by London court
Wik ileak s founder Julian Assange ’s hopes for freedom have been dashed after a judge refused him bail despite a decision to block his extradition to the United States.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected an application for the 49-yearold to be released with strict conditionals yesterday over concern he would abscond.
It follows a decision that he should not be extradited to the US on mental health grounds due to the risk of suicide.
Assange will have to remain in custody as the US government is appealing against Monday’s extradition ruling.
Announcing her bail decision at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Judge Baraitser said: “As a matter of fairness, the US must be allowed to challenge my decision and if Mr Assange absconds during this process they will lose the opportunity to do so.
“Mr Assange still has a huge suppor t ne twork available to him should he again choose to go to ground.”
Presenting his argument for bail, Ed Fitzgerald QC, for Assange, told Judge Baraitser: “We say after all this time, after the length of proceedings of a year in which you rightly stressed the impor tance of his liberty at stake and importance of a decision.
“And a decision has been taken – he should be discharged.
“‘I discharge you from this extradition request’ should mean he should at
least regain his conditional liberty.”
The lawyer said Assange wished for a “sheltered life” with his family.
A “significant number of responsible people” had offered “substantial sums” of surety for Assange, the court heard.
Clair Dobbin, for the US government, argued that Assange had “shown himself as capable of going
to extraordinary lengths to avoid extradition”.
Assange has already spent years in confinement.
He has been held in Belmarsh high security jail since he was carried out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London by police before being arrested for breaching his bail conditions in April 2019.
He had entered the
embassy in 2012 af ter exhausting all legal avenues to avoid extradition to Sweden to face sex offence allegations, which he has always denied and were eventually dropped.
Assange is still wanted in the US on an 18- count indictment, alleging a plot to hack computers and a conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information.