More than 60 doctors wrote in an open letter that they are concerned about Julian Assange’s health, and fear the Wikileaks founder will die in a British prison.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange photographed in May 2019.
The 48-year-old Australian is now in prison in the UK awaiting a decision on whether he should be extradited to the US.
In a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, doctors asked that Assange be moved from Belmarsh prison in southeast London to a university hospital. The doctors came from America, Australia, England, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Sri Lanka and Poland.
– We write this open letter as doctors to express our serious concerns for Julian Assange’s physical and mental health, the 16-page letter said.
– Could die in prison
The doctors based their assessment on Eye Winter’s observations of Assange’s Oct. 21 court appearance in London, and on a report by Nils Melzer, the UN special rapporteur against torture.
Doctors are unsure whether the Wikileaks founder will be conscious enough to undergo an extradition hearing due to take place in February.
– If a quick investigation and treatment is not carried out, we are very afraid that Assange will die in prison. Therefore, the medical situation is urgent, the doctors wrote.
The US demands Assange’s extradition
When Assange appeared in public for the first time in six months, at a court hearing last month, his health appeared to be deteriorating.
In 2012, the Wikileaks founder sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was accused of sexual assault.
He was arrested in April this year when Ecuador lifted his protection.
The US is demanding that Assange be extradited for violating the Espionage Act through the publication of a large number of secret US diplomatic and military documents.
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