Assange gets 50 weeks in prison for violating bail conditions

By admin On May 1, 2019

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Julian Assange has been jailed for 50 weeks after violating the terms of his bail some seven years ago. The British judge ruled that Assange deliberately violated the laws of the country and was only arrested because his asylum was revoked.

Because Assange “deliberately broke the laws of the land” and always “had the choice to surrender,” he is facing the maximum sentence of 12 months. That writes Judge Deborah Taylor about the conviction of Assange. “It is difficult to think of a more serious example of this offense,” said the judge.

According to the judge, Assange deliberately evaded British police when he fled to the Ecuadorian embassy almost seven years ago when Sweden asked for his extradition. According to Taylor, his actions “unquestionably” obstructed Swedish justice. At the time, investigations were conducted in Sweden into alleged rapes and sexual abuse allegedly committed by Assange in the country. Taylor blames Assange for helping the Swedish investigation only on his own terms.

According to Taylor, the flight to the embassy cost ‘the British taxpayer’ 18.6 million euros in permanent surveillance that was needed in case Assange tried to flee. This also blames Taylor Assange, especially the fact that Assange didn’t surrender himself.

At the same time, Taylor says he is familiar with the fact that Assange was afraid of eventually being extradited to the United States. However, according to Taylor, this point hardly affected her judgment, as it was Assange’s own choice to flee to the Ecuadorian embassy. She also does not agree with the proposal that Assange’s stay in the embassy should provide criminal relief. “You were not in prison conditions and could have left the embassy at any moment,” the judge told Assange.

As a result, Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison, although he could be released on parole halfway through the term. After his sentence, a possible extradition to the United States awaits him, which has sent an extradition request to the United Kingdom. He could face up to five years in prison there, the prosecutor said.

Assange was arrested in the Ecuadorian embassy on April 11 after the country withdrew his asylum. Ecuador’s president later said he had misbehaved in the embassy, claiming that he was using his residence address as a spy center.