A U.K. judge ruled that the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, should not be extradited to the United States. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser announced her verdict on Monday at the Old Bailey.
The 49-year-old Australian came into limelight in 2010 when he “illegally” hacked into the U.S. government websites and leaked documents containing logs on Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and diplomatic cables.
The founder of WikiLeaks, which leaked the secret U.S. cables, Assange’s trial began in February last year and concluded in October. He is being held at the Belmarsh prison in southeast London and fears for his physical and mental health are rising.
He was arrested in April 2019 from the Ecuador embassy in London, where he was staying on asylum from 2012.
That same month, a grand jury in the U.S. state of Virginia charged him with computer hacking for allegedly assisting former US Army personnel Chelsea Manning in accessing the classified documents.
In May 2019, Assange was indicted under the US Espionage Act of 1917 on 17 counts for soliciting, gathering and publishing US military and diplomatic documents provided by Manning. Assange has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, depression and other mental health-related issues.
