However she stated his precarious psychological well being would seemingly deteriorate additional underneath the situations of “close to whole isolation” he would face in US jail.
“I discover that the psychological situation of Mr. Assange is such that it might be oppressive to extradite him to the US of America,” the decide stated.
She stated Assange was “a depressed and typically despairing man” who had the “mind and dedication” to avoid any suicide prevention measures taken by American jail authorities.
The US authorities stated it might attraction the choice.
Assange’s legal professionals plan to ask for his launch from a London jail the place he has been held for greater than a year-and-a-half.
Assange, who sat within the dock at London’s Central Prison Court docket for the ruling, wiped his forehead as the choice was introduced.
His associate Stella Moris, with whom he has two younger sons, wept.
Contained in the US supermax jail Julian Assange is going through
Assange’s American lawyer, Barry Pollack, stated the authorized group was “enormously gratified by the UK courtroom’s resolution denying extradition”.
“The trouble by the US to prosecute Julian Assange and search his extradition was ill-advised from the beginning,” he stated.
“We hope that after consideration of the UK courtroom’s ruling, the US will determine to not pursue the case additional.”
The ruling marks a dramatic second in Assange’s years-long authorized battles in Britain — although seemingly not its last chapter.
US prosecutors have indicted Assange on 17 espionage fees and one cost of pc misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of leaked navy and diplomatic paperwork a decade in the past.
The costs carry a most sentence of 175 years in jail.
Attorneys for the 49-year-old Australian argue that he was appearing as a journalist and is entitled to First Modification protections of freedom of speech for publishing leaked paperwork that uncovered US navy wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The decide, nonetheless, stated Assange’s actions, if confirmed, would “quantity to offences on this jurisdiction that might not be protected by his proper to freedom of speech.”
The defence additionally argued throughout a three-week listening to within the fall that extradition threatens Assange’s human rights as a result of he dangers “a grossly disproportionate sentence” and detention in “draconian and inhumane situations” that might exacerbate his extreme despair and different psychological well being issues.
The decide agreed with that argument. She stated Assange suffered from average to extreme medical despair and was a “typically despairing man” genuinely fearful about his future.
Attorneys for the US authorities deny that Assange is being prosecuted merely for publishing the leaked paperwork, saying the case “is largely based mostly upon his illegal involvement” within the theft of the diplomatic cables and navy information by US Military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.
The prosecution of Assange has been condemned by journalists and human rights teams, who say it undermines free speech all over the world.
They welcomed the decide’s resolution, despite the fact that it was not made on free-speech grounds.
“This can be a large reduction to anybody who cares concerning the rights of journalists,” The Freedom of the Press Basis tweeted:
“The extradition request was not selected press freedom grounds; moderately, the decide primarily dominated the US jail system was too repressive to extradite. Nonetheless, the consequence will shield journalists all over the place.”
Assange’s authorized troubles started in 2010, when he was arrested in London on the request of Sweden, which wished to query him about allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two ladies. In 2012, to keep away from being despatched to Sweden, Assange sought refuge contained in the Ecuadorian Embassy, the place he was past the attain of UK and Swedish authorities — but additionally successfully a prisoner, unable to depart the tiny diplomatic mission in London’s tony Knightsbridge space.
The connection between Assange and his hosts finally soured, and he was evicted from the embassy in April 2019. British police instantly arrested him for leaping bail in 2012.
Sweden dropped the intercourse crimes investigations in November 2019 as a result of a lot time had elapsed, however Assange stays in London’s high-security Belmarsh Jail, delivered to courtroom in a jail van all through his extradition listening to.