Assange denied bail

WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange has been denied bail after arguing that his release from a UK prison would mitigate his “high risk” of catching coronavirus.

The Australian made the application in the Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday, local time, with fewer than 15 people in attendance due to the coronavirus lockdown.

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Assange had absconded before and said that Belmarsh prison was following government guidelines to protect detainees, with no confirmed virus cases there yet.

She accepted that government advice may change rapidly but for the time being she denied strict bail for the 48year-old.

“As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not, of itself, yet provide grounds for Mr Assange’s release,” Judge Baraitser ruled.

“In my view, there are substantial grounds to believe that if released today, he would not return to face his extradition hearing. There are no conditions that allay this concern and this application is therefore refused.”

Defence lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC wore a face mask and his colleague Mark Summers attended via Zoom, while US government lawyers dialled in.

Mr Fitzgerald said Assange had prior chest and tooth infections, and osteoporosis, placing him at a higher risk from the virus.

The QC described prisons as “epidemiological pumps” where diseases spread rapidly and said the defence team had recently been denied entry to Belmarsh because 100 prison staff were self-isolating.

Mr Fitzgerald also raised the prospect of Assange’s next extradition hearing on May 18 being postponed due to lockdown measures.

He said witnesses overseas could be unable to travel and Assange might be unable to meet his counsel in the lockeddown prison.