British Judge Vanessa Baraitser has denied Julian Assange’s request for bail, as the U.S. considers appealing her ruling against his extradition.
In September 2019, Assange completed his 50-week sentence for jumping bail when he sought and received asylum from Ecuador rather than turn himself in to authorities for questioning by Sweden. On the basis of his previously jumping bail, Baraitser refused to grant him bail during the hearings on extradition to the United States, keeping him in Belmarsh Prison.
On Jan. 4, 2021, Baraitser ruled against the U.S. extradition request on the narrow grounds that Assange would seek, with steadfast determination, to commit suicide, and that the U.S. prison would not be able to guarantee his life. You’d think that if she were worried about Assange taking his own life, Baraitser would now let Assange out on bail as the U.S. contemplates filing an appeal on the ruling, but this is not what happened.
