US lawyers appeal UK decision to block Assange extradition

Lawyers acting on behalf of the U.S. government have challenged a British judge’s decision to block the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges in the United States

LONDON -- Lawyers acting on behalf of the U.S. government on Wednesday challenged a British judge’s decision to block the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges in the United States, arguing that assessments of Assange’s mental health should be reviewed. The British judge, Vanessa Baraitser, ruled in January that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. The U.S. government is appealing. Clair Dobbin, a lawyer who represented U.S. authorities during a High Court preliminary hearing on Wednesday, argued that Assange does not meet the threshold of being “so ill” that he cannot resist harming himself. She said a decision not to prosecute or extradite an individual would require “a mental illness of a type that the ability to resist suicide has been lost.” Assange's condition did not come close to being of that nature, and he has not made serious attempts on his life before, she argued.