Legal experts say they would be surprised if bail is granted, given Assange’s categorisation as a flight risk. I find that the mental condition of Mr Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America,” she concluded. Prosecutors say Assange helped the US defence analyst Chelsea Manning breach the US Espionage Act, was complicit in hacking by others and published classified information that endangered informants. Assange denies plotting with Manning to crack an encrypted password on US computers and says there is no evidence anyone’s safety was compromised. She sided with the argument of lawyers for US authorities who had denied Assange was being prosecuted merely for publishing diplomatic cables and military files.

Source: The Guardian January 04, 2021 11:00 UTC