A British judge ruled on Monday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges including breaking a spying law, saying his mental health problems meant he would be at risk of suicide.
The United States said it would continue to seek the extradition of Australian-born Assange and U.S. prosecutors are set to appeal Monday’s decision to London’s High Court.
The U.S. authorities accuse the 49-year-old of 18 offences relating to the release by WikiLeaks of vast troves of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables which they say put lives in danger.
Assange’s lawyers will seek bail on Wednesday for their client, who has spent most of the last decade either in prison or self-imposed confinement.
“We will continue to seek Mr. Assange’s extradition,” a U.S. Department of Justice statement said, adding that the United States had won on all the legal points, including arguments relating to freedom of…