Assange Must Not Also Die in Jail 303


The highly dubious death of Jeffrey Epstein in a US maximum security prison is another strong reason not to extradite Julian Assange into one – particularly as many of the same people who are relieved by Epstein’s death would like to see Assange dead too.

But there is every reason to fear Assange is already in danger, in Belmarsh maximum security prison, where he is currently incarcerated. As the great journalist John Pilger tweeted six days ago:

Do not forget Julian #Assange. Or you will lose him.
I saw him in Belmarsh prison and his health has deteriorated. Treated worse than a murderer, he is isolated, medicated and denied the tools to fight the bogus charges of US extradition. I now fear for him. Do not forget him.

There is no official explanation as to why Julian’s health has continued to deteriorate so alarmingly in Belmarsh. Nobody genuinely believes him to be a violent danger, so there is absolutely no call for him to be imprisoned in the facility which houses the hardcore terrorist cases.

Assange is fighting major legal cases in the UK, Sweden and the United States, yet is permitted visitors for only two hours per fortnight, inclusive of time spent with his three sets of lawyers. All of his visitors have been alarmed by his state of physical health and many have been alarmed by his apparent disorientation and confusion.

It is because of Assange’s draconian one year sentence for “bail-jumping” on claiming political asylum that he can be kept in such harsh conditions and with so little access to his lawyers. That is why his sentence was so unprecedentedly stiff for missing police bail. Otherwise, as a remand prisoner awaiting extradition hearing his conditions would ordinarily be less harsh and his access to lawyers much better. The Establishment has conspired to reduce his ability to defend himself in court. I am not convinced it is not conspiring to destroy him.

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303 thoughts on “Assange Must Not Also Die in Jail

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  • Borncynical

    “I am innocent. His Majesty’s officers know the truth yet they choose to destroy a man because he is a friend to truth, liberty and justice. I look to a future of freedom, justice and humanity”. The person who makes this poignant speech is then executed by hanging.

    This is what happened in tonight’s episode of Poldark, set in the early 1800s. Some things don’t change.

  • John2o2o

    Just as an update on this matter, I received a reply to my letter to Julian two days ago.

    Julian’s message was brief, but positive. He sounded very much alive and keen to fight on to win his battle.

    I felt quite encouraged by it.

    I think it is important to maintain balance and perspective on this issue. The “establishment” (whatever that term really means) does certainly seem to view Julian with a great deal of contempt.

    However, there is still only so much they can do. They cannot murder him in jail (no, they can’t!) And Julian is probably of more use to them alive than dead anyway. The UK government wants to extradite him alive – they cannot use Julian’s corpse as a means of pleasing their American masters.

      • John2o2o

        Thank you Brian. From 22minutes.

        Well Julian is clearly as John says being treated as a political prisoner.

        In my letter I urged Julian to try mental exercises to take his mind off of the situation he is in and gave him some suggestions. This is one way in which something like this can be coped with. Of course, Julian may know this already. It is hard to know exactly what to say when you have only a limited knowledge of a person’s circumstances.

        But as I say, Julian certainly at least sounded strong in his letter and not by any means ready to give up.

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