Health
Wikileaks founder Assange tested positive for Corona
Thousands of demonstrators in London over the weekend demanded the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. photo
© Alberto Pezzali/AP/dpa
Julian Assange, who is in a London prison, has Corona. His wife is very worried about his health.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been imprisoned for more than three years, contracted the corona virus in London prison. “He tested positive for Covid on Saturday, the same day thousands took to the streets to support him,” his wife Stella Assange told the British PA news agency. The 51-year-old is now “locked in his cell 24 hours a day” and she is worried about his health.
Relatives have previously expressed concern about Assange’s mental and physical health. At the weekend, thousands of supporters formed a human chain around the British Parliament and demanded the release of the Wikileaks founder.
The US judiciary wants to put Assange on trial for allegations of espionage. He faces up to 175 years in prison if convicted. He is accused of having stolen and published secret material from US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, thereby endangering the lives of US informants.
Supporters see Assange as a courageous journalist who exposed war crimes. The government in London has approved the extradition. But the legal tug-of-war over the Wikileaks founder is not over yet.