Julian Assange has talked about suicide amid 'very dark times in prison', says wife Stella

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is scheduled to appear at a courtroom in London next week (Feb 27) in what could be his final attempt to avoid extradition to face espionage charges in the United States. The charges were leveled against him a decade after he provided the media across the world with several US military secrets that exposed a number of atrocities committed by the US troops in Iraq and Syria.

Assange's appeal against extradition was allowed in 2021 on the grounds that there was a risk he would commit suicide if extradited to an American prison. That judgment was later overturned.

Assange is now appealing against his extradition on grounds that his prosecution is politically motivated and that itrepresents an unprecedented assault on press freedom since this isthe first instance of a publisher facing charges under the USEspionage Act.

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In an interview with The Times, Assange's wife Stella, when asked if her husband still talks about suicide, said: "I don’t want to talk about that. But he has. There have been some very, very dark times in Belmarsh [prison]."

"I don't want to go into that. It’s not just about suicide; it’s about how he wouldn’t be safe from the authorities," she added.

According to reports, if extradited, Assange would be held in Alexandria Detention Centre in Virginia in conditions that reportedly amount to solitary confinement.

This is where Assange's WikiLeaks source, the soldier Chelsea Manning, attempted suicide four years ago.

What are the charges against Julian Assange?

Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006. The website published millions of classified files, including official reports on corruption, spying as well as the deaths of civilians.

The leaks were described as "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States" by the US Department of Justice in 2019.

Also watch |WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange extradition case returns to UK Court

Assange, 52, has been charged with 18 offences under the US Espionage Act of 1917. The extradition proceedings have been brought against him in the United States.

What next for Julian Assange?

Assange's legal saga, whichbeganin 2010, culminated in his seven-year refuge within Ecuador's embassy in London. In 2019, he was arrested for allegedly breaching bail conditions. Three years later, his extradition to the United States was allowed by Britain.

Assange's lawyers are now seeking permission to appeal against the extradition decision made in 2022 by the then UK Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Besides, a "political offense exception" exists in the US-UK Supplementary Extradition Treaty. It allows the "requested state to deny return of the person sought if the alleged crime is of a political nature".

Assange claims that the case against him is politically motivated.