Countdown To Day X: Assange May Die If Extradited

Although the abusive treatment Assange will likely endure in U.S. custody isn't a focus of this upcoming appeal hearing, it still matters.

Editor’s Note: Ahead of a major appeal hearing before the British High Court of Justice on February 20 and 21, the “Countdown To Day X” series highlights key aspects of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s appeal against extradition to the United States.

The risk of cruel and inhuman treatment that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces if confined in a United States jail or prison was already litigated, and in the British legal system, the U.S. government won.

In December 2021, the British High Court of Justice—the same court that will now determine whether to grant Assange a full appeal hearing—overturned District Judge Vanessa Baraitser’s decision that blocked extradition. Baraitser had concluded extradition would be oppressive given Assange’s “mental condition.”

The High Court of Justice was “satisfied” with so-called diplomatic assurances from the U.S. government that Assange would not be mistreated in jail or prison. “There is no reason why this court should not accept the assurances as meaning what they say,” the High Court added. 

Read the full article at The Dissenter.