Michael East, Red Revolution

Alarming news from London suggests that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is “gravely ill” and has been admitted to the hospital wing of the high-security Belmarsh Prison.

Assange’s Swedish lawyer Per E. Samuelson has stated that “Assange is in such a bad shape that it is not possible to conduct a normal conversation with him”. Samuelson met with Assange for just under two hours on Friday at Belmarsh and was unable to engage in effective communication.

Due to the condition of his client, Samuelson requested a postponement to June 3 extradition hearing in Uppsala, Sweden. Yet, despite Assange’s condition, which is said to be “grave”, the request has been denied.

“I meant that it should be postponed until I had time to meet again and go through the issues in peace and quiet. I suggested no specific date and meant it should be postponed until everything was ready, but the district court has now decided that this won’t happen.” Per E. Samuelson

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has already declared that Assange’s sentence for breaching his bail conditions in the United Kingdom is “disproportionate” and stated that they are “concerned” over the situation, stating that they are concerned that his “treatment appears to contravene the principles of necessity and proportionality envisaged by human rights standards.”

Beyond the United Nations, Julian Assange’s mother Christine has raised the alarm about the ongoing treatment of her son, notably the lack of access to medical care and access to face-to-face meetings with his lawyer as he attempts to mount a defence prior to the moves for extradition […]

via Julian Assange Said to Be “Gravely Ill” in Belmarsh Prison’s Hospital Wing — Red Revolution Media.