Lawyer to UK Court: Julian Assange stripped naked twice, handcuffed 11 times

Julian Assange’s lawyer reportedly complained that WikiLeaks founder was stripped naked twice and handcuffed 11 times on first day of hearing on extradition case. Attorney Edward Fitzgerald told a judge at Woolwich Crown Court that court papers were taken away from Assange and treatment of his client at Belmarsh Prison “could be a contempt of this court”.

"Yesterday, Mr Assange was handcuffed 11 times, stripped naked twice at Belmarsh and put in five separate holding cells," said Fitzgerald on February 25.

While attorney urged judge Vanessa Baraitser to give an “indication” to prison authorities, Baraitser said that she didn’t have authority to direct prison officials on how to treat detainees. judge added that she can instruct in case Assange becomes unable to participate in proceedings. “If it comes to that, please let me kw,” said Baraitser.

Health concerns

During an interview to BBC, whistleblower’s far John Shipton had said that Assange's long solitary confinement damd his health. He said that ceaseless anxiety that Julian's been under for w 10 years has had a profoundly deleterious effect.

Last week, whistleblower’s spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson said that Assange’s health has shown improvement since he has been moved out of solitary confinement. Speaking in a news conference, Hrafnsson said that ackwledged pressure from his legal team, public, and or inmates to get him out of isolation.

Read: Jeremy Corbyn Lauds Julian Assange, Asks UK President Boris Johnson To Halt Extradition

Assange, who is kept in a maximum-security prison in souast London, is fighting an extradition request from United States on charges of violating Espion Act and conspiring to hack into classified government documents. WikiLeaks founder is charged on 18 counts including computer intrusion, espion for encouraging, receiving and publishing national defence information in cahoots with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. 

Read: US To Lay Out Case Against WikiLeaks Publisher Julian Assange At Extradition Hearing

US authorities claim that publishing unredacted classified documents put informants, journalists and human rights activists at risk of torture, abuse or death. lawyer representing United States for Assange’s extradition argued that whistleblower’s action endangered lives of people from Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, who helped US.

Read: WikiLeaks Publisher Julian Assange To Seek Asylum In France Amid Extradition Case

Read: Julian Assange's Health Improved After Moving Out Of Solitary Confinement: Spokesperson

(With AP inputs)