Assange denied bail by British court, forced to stay in high-security prison

 

6 Jan, 2021 11:32 / Updated 2 minutes ago

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A woman holding a placard looks at a police officer outside at the Westminster Magistrates Court ahead of a hearing as Assange's lawyers seek bail for their client in London, Britain January 6, 2021. ©  REUTERS / Henry Nicholls 

WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange has been denied bail and is forced to remain at the high-security Belmarsh prison in London. The court previously refused to allow his extradition for prosecution in the US.

Assange was seeking bail in the Westminster Magistrates’ Court presided over by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who on Monday ruled against his extradition.

The activist had already served a 50-week sentence in the UK for jumping bail in 2012 when he hid in London's Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.

The judge said Assange “has an incentive to abscond,” adding that there is a good chance he would not return to court if freed.

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