Czech Pirate Party calls on UK to provide medical care to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Prague, Nov 28 (CTK) – Pirates chairman Ivan Bartoš personally delivered a letter to UK ambassador to the Czech Republic Nick Archer today, an appeal by Pirates deputies and MEPs for medical care to be provided to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the party had reported today in a press release.

“We think Julian Assange is in need of medical care, not imprisonment,” Bartoš said after meeting the UK ambassador.

The Pirates have thus joined the call issued by 60 physicians this week, who reacted to the media information about Assange’s alarming physical and psychological state.

The letter also includes a call on the UK not to extradite Assange to the United States.

“I refuse his extradition to the United States, where he is threatened by politically-motivated persecution. I am against any extradition of those citizens whose offence lies in pointing out unlawful behaviour of state authorities. On the contrary, we see information published by whistleblowers as crucial for the upholding of human rights in democratic countries,” Bartoš said, adding he also asked for a personal meeting with Assange.

Assange, 48, has been held by UK authorities since April 2019, when Ecuador revoked his political asylum, halted his citizenship and ended his seven-year stay at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

A court in London refused his request for a one-month delay in his US extradition case. The proceedings will begin February 25.

The US claims Assange conspired to break into a classified Pentagon computer. He is facing up to 175 years in jail if convicted.

WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of documents and diplomatic cables from anonymous whistleblowers in 2010, including war logs from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.