[News:] Assange’s emergency bail application rejected despite COVID-19 fears

by Mohammed el Maazi and Tareq Haddad

(London, U.K.) In spite of a country-wide shutdown and government directives enforcing “social-distancing” measures to quell the surge of COVID-19, Julian Assange was denied bail on Wednesday (March 25) that could have seen him temporarily released from prison.

Lawyers for Assange argued the WikiLeaks founder was at significant risk of catching the deadly virus at H.M.P. Belmarsh — where he is currently held on remand while awaiting the continuation of his U.S. extradition proceedings — however, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected the emergency bail application.

She told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that Assange’s previous actions — namely his decision to jump bail and seek political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012, as opposed to being extradited to Sweden on sexual allegations that have since been proven as fabricated — meant that, in her view, he is considered at high risk of absconding again.

“As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not, of itself, yet provide grounds for Mr Assange’s release,” Baraitser said.

“In my view, there are substantial grounds to believe that if released today, he would not return to face his extradition hearing.

“There are no conditions that allay this concern and this application is therefore refused.”

The ruling came after nearly three hours of proceedings in a near-empty court room that was normally jam-packed for the momentous press freedom case. Only Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Assange, was present from both the prosecution and the defence.

He outlined a series of illnesses which Assange suffered from that not only increased his likelihood of infection, but materially increased his chances of death if COVID-19 is contracted.

Fitzgerald told the court that the Australian national has had four separate episodes of respiratory tract infection while in the Ecuadorian embassy, in addition to suffering from premature osteoporosis.

The illnesses were contemporaneously documented by medical professionals who visited Assange in the embassy and while incarcerated in Belmarsh prison. Their written statements were submitted to Baraitser.

Fitzgerald also added that, as per the findings of the three experts, Assange’s depression and on-going solitary confinement for 23 hours a day was likely to result in a weakened immune system that leaves him furthermore susceptible to infection.

A number of public bodies and advocacy groups — including the Prison Officers Association and the Prison Advisory Service —  have called for low-risk prisoners like Assange to be released, citing the heightened risk of infection in the over-crowded and often unhygienic prison cells.

While no cases of COVID-19 have so far been reported among Belmarsh inmates, it transpired that roughly 100 prison staff at the facility had called in sick and were self-isolating.

It is believed that at least four inmates across the U.K. have contracted the virus, while the number of total cases among the total population jumped to over 8,000 as of March 24, according to Public Health England.

Following Baraitser’s ruling to keep Assange detained, current WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson labelled the decision as “barbaric”.

He said: “To expose another human being to serious illness, and to the threat of losing their life, is grotesque and quite unnecessary. This is not justice. It is a barbaric decision.”