Assange suicide risk higher in UK, says US

RISK of suicide should not block Julian Assange being extradited to the United States, as prisoners in Britain are nearly five times more likely to kill themselves, the High Court has been told.

Lawyers for the US government yesterday began an appeal against a court’s decision in January to block the extradition of the Wikileaks founder over concerns it would be “oppressive” given his suicide risk.

The 50-year-old is wanted in the US on 18 criminal charges linked to a vast leak of sensitive military documents published by the Wikileaks website.

Yesterday, US authorities argued at a hearing in London that the decision of District Judge Vanessa Baraitser risked “rewarding fugitives for their flight”.

James Lewis QC, for the US government, said, in written legal arguments, the approach taken by the previous judge erected a “barrier to extradition” that no state would be able overcome.

Evidence previously put before the court showed the suicide rate in a US state prison was 21 per 100,000 people, compared with 100 per 100,000 people in jails in England and Wales.

The US has also assured Britain that, if convicted, Mr Assange would be able to serve his sentence in Australia, his home country, and pledged he would not face detention under harsh conditions in a “supermax” prison.

Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Mr Assange, argued that the previous judge was right to focus mainly “on the effect of imminent extradition itself on Mr Assange’s suicide risk”.

The hearing is expected to end today with a decision at a later date.