UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has urged the UK government to halt the impending extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US. Edwards implores the government to carefully evaluate Assange’s appeal, citing severe concerns that his extradition may expose him to treatment that could amount to torture.
The Special Rapporteur has made an appeal for the British government to rethink the extradition order, ensuring compliance with the absolute prohibition against relocating individuals to areas where they could face torture and “other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment”. She also strongly suggested measures be taken to “safeguard Mr Assange’s physical and mental health”.
Currently, Assange is detained in Belmarsh prison in the UK. The British government had previously ordered his extradition to the US in June 2022. Assange is in the process of contesting this decision and is scheduled to appear at the High Court on February 20-21, where they will reevaluate an earlier ruling that denied Assange the permission to appeal his extradition.
Between 2012-2019, Assange found refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to escape extradition to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault. However, after his political asylum was rescinded and he was apprehended by the Metropolitan Police officers, he was later further arrested at the behest of the US government. The US government seeks Assange’s extradition on 18 charges related to his “alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States”. Some of these documents reveal evidence of alleged war crimes.
Assange was then transferred to Belmarsh Prison in southeast London, noted for confining high-profile inmates, particularly those involved in national security cases. While in solitary confinement, Assange has been assessed as “at risk of committing suicide” and suffering from a “recurrent depressive disorder”. Edwards suggests that his extradition to the US could potentially lead to him serving a disproportionate sentence in prolonged solitary confinement, despite his precarious mental health status, as the assurances of humane treatment by the US Government are not considered sufficient protection for Assange.
For the full news, please visit the full article.