Assange prison conditions 'appalling', WikiLeaks editor says as extradition hearing ends
Julian Assange
Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson described Julian Assange's conditions in prison as "appalling" as he spoke to journalists outside Westminster Magistrates Court after a preliminary extradition hearing.
The United States has requested the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on April 11, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years.
"'It is unacceptable that a publisher is spending time in that prison," Hrafnsson said as Assange supporters gathered around him.
Appearing via a video link from a British prison, the WikiLeaks founder told the London court his work had protected "many people" and refused to agree to be extradited to the United States to face trial for one of the largest compromises of classified information in history.
The case was adjourned until May 30 for a procedural hearing with a more substantial hearing planned for June 12. The full extradition hearing was some months away, Judge Michael Snow told the court.
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To some, Assange is a hero for exposing what supporters cast as abuse of power by modern states and for championing free speech. To others, he is a dangerous rebel who has undermined US security.
On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison by a British court for skipping bail after fleeing to Ecuador's Embassy in London, where he remained for seven years.