Treatment of Julian Assange ‘inhuman and cruel’, wife says

Stella Assange said her husband’s physical condition is deteriorating by the day.

Stella Assange (Ashlee Ruggels/PA) (PA Archive)

The treatment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been described by his wife as “inhuman and cruel” as he continues to be held in prison.

Stella Assange said his physical condition is deteriorating by the day as he spends most of the time in a cell in Belmarsh prison in London.

He was taken to the prison just over four years ago after being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy.

Assange is fighting extradition to the United States where he faces a lengthy prison sentence over documents published by WikiLeaks.

His wife told an online meeting organised by the National Union of Journalists that Assange’s period of detention is now one of the longest at Belmarsh.

“He has seen criminals convicted for armed crimes sentenced to eight years but only served half of that,” she said.

“So he has been in prison longer than those convicted of armed crimes.

“He is being treated in an inhuman and cruel manner.”

Stella Assange said there was growing support for releasing her husband across the world, especially because of the impact of his case for press freedom.