WikiLeaks’ Assange gets 50 weeks in prison for jumping bail
A British judge sentenced WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday to 50 weeks in prison for skipping bail seven years ago and holing up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
Judge Deborah Taylor appeared unimpressed by Assange’s written apology and his lawyer’s argument that he sought refuge in the embassy because of overwhelming fear of being taken from Sweden, where he faced sexual misconduct allegations, to the U.S. to face separate charges related to his WikiLeaks activity.
“It is essential to the rule of law that nobody is above or beyond the reach of the law,” Taylor said. “Orders of the court are to be obeyed.”
The judge said it was hard to imagine a more serious version of the offense as she gave the 47year-old hacker a sentence close to the maximum of a year in custody. She pointed out that he had not surrendered “willingly” and was only facing the court because the government of Ecuador withdrew its protection last month.
The Australian secretspiller had lived in the South American country’s London embassy since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning over rape and sexual-assault allegations made by two women.
He was arrested by British police April 11 this year after Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of various offenses, including meddling in the nation’s foreign affairs to poor hygiene.
Assange faces a separate court hearing Thursday on a U.S. extradition request. American authorities have charged Assange with conspiring to break into a Pentagon computer system.
His supporters in the public gallery at Southwark Crown Court cheered for him as he left and chanted “Shame on you” at the judge as Assange was led away. He raised his fist in a show of defiance.