(Newswire.net — October 23, 2019) — Assange appeared in a courtroom in London today, in front of which several dozen of his supporters gathered in the morning.
London court judge Vanessa Baraitser has rejected a request by the lawyer of “WikiLeaks” Julian Assange to delay the extradition hearing for the Australian to the United States for three months. Assange appeared in a courtroom in London today, in front of which several dozen of his supporters gathered in the morning.
The Australian is facing multiple charges, including espionage, for unlawfully seizing and releasing state defense data in connection with former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.
The barrister has rejected a request by Assange’s legal team to postpone the hearing for three months and confirmed that it will be held in February 2020, CNN reported.
Defense attorney Mark Summers said his team needed more time to gather and present all the evidence needed.
Assange complained to the judge that he did not have access to any of his legal documents at the Belmarsh prison, where he was serving a sentence of probation, and that he “could not think properly.”
WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said the court’s decision was a political misdemeanor, that it was no doubt a political prosecution and that Assange was a political prisoner.
Assange showed up in court without a beard and seemed undernourished. At the time of his arrest, Assange was filmed in a significantly different appearance, with long hair and a beard, but was re-trimmed today.
Assange was arrested in May, and at yesterday’s hearing he again complained about the conditions in which he was captured.
The WikiLeaks founder will remain in UK’s jail at least until February 2020, when it will be decided whether Assange will be extradited to the United States for possession and distribution of classified information.