At a hearing at London's Old Bailey, Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected nearly all his legal team's arguments but said she could not approve his extradition as there was a real risk he would commit suicide. Assange, she said, suffered from at times severe depression and had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and autism, albeit he was "a high functioning autistic case". "I find that Assange's risk of committing suicide, if an extradition order were to be made, to be substantial," Baraitser said in her ruling. I am satisfied that the procedures (outlined by US authorities) will not prevent Assange from finding a way to commit suicide." Baraitser rejected this, however, saying there was insufficient evidence that prosecutors had been pressured by Trump's team and there was little evidence of hostility from the US president towards him.

Source: bd News24 January 04, 2021 11:21 UTC