On mental health grounds, a British court declared on 4 January that Australian journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can not be extradited to the United States.
Assange has been in Belmarsh prison since April 2019, after spending almost seven years as a refugee in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He is accused by the United States of espionage for publishing thousands of confidential US military documents in 2010 and 2011. Washington has 14 days to appeal. While they have expressed relief, free speech organisations regret a ruling that fails to defend public-interest journalism.
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