Human rights chief warns UK not to extradite Assange

JULIAN ASSANGE should not be extradited from the UK to face spying charges in the United States, a Council of Europe commissioner has told the Home Secretary.

Last year, a British court ruled that Assange, the Wikileaks founder, could be extradited despite his lawyers’ claims that he is a suicide risk and that handing him over would breach his human rights.

A final extradition order was issued by the courts in April and the case was passed to Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, for a formal decision.

Yesterday, Dunja Mijatović, the EU council’s commissioner for human rights, said she had called on Ms Patel not to extradite Assange, who is being held in HMP Belmarsh, south London.

Writing to the Home Secretary last week, Ms Mijatović, from Bosnia, said the indictment by the US “raises important questions about the protection of those that publish classified information in the public interest”.

She added: “The broad and vague nature of the ... offences listed in the indictment, are troubling as many of them concern activities at the core of investigative journalism ... allowing Mr Assange’s extradition would have a chilling effect on media freedom.”