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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element">Reminder.</div>
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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"><a
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href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/julian-assange-julian-joe-biden-wikileaks-belmarsh-b944549.html">standard.co.uk</a>
<h1 class="reader-title">Pressure builds for Julian Assange to be
released</h1>
<div class="credits reader-credits">Alan Jones</div>
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<p><span>P</span>leas for <a
href="https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/julian-assange">Julian
Assange</a> to be freed from prison are being stepped
up amid warnings that the <a
href="https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/wikileaks">WikiLeaks</a>
founder is suffering “severe psychological abuse”.</p>
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<p>The United States administration is appealing against a
UK court decision in January not to extradite him, but no
date has been set for the hearing, so Mr Assange remains
in <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/belmarsh">Belmarsh</a>
prison.</p>
<p>His legal team said on Wednesday that permission to
appeal has been granted on a limited basis, allowing only
“narrow, technical grounds”.</p>
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<p>The case is rotten to the core, and nothing that the US
government can say about his future treatment is worth
the paper it is written on.</p>
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<p>Mr Assange’s fiancee, Stella Moris, said: “Six months
ago, Judge Vanessa Baraitser blocked the extradition of my
partner, <a
href="https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/julian">Julian</a>
Assange, because consigning him to the US prison system
would have amounted to signing his death warrant. That
should have been the end of it.</p>
<p>“The case is rotten to the core, and nothing that the US
government can say about his future treatment is worth the
paper it is written on. This is a country whose agents
plotted to kill Julian on British soil, who harried his
solicitors and stole legal documents; who even targeted
our six-month-old baby.</p>
<p>“I am appealing directly to the Biden government to do
the right thing, even at this late stage. This case should
not be dragged out for a moment longer. End this
prosecution, protect free speech and let Julian come home
to his family.</p>
<figure><figcaption><span>Stella Moris</span><span> / </span><span>
PA Wire</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>“The current administration admits that the Trump
Department of Justice lacked independence. It seems
inconceivable that President Biden would want to continue
with this case – because Julian’s freedom is coupled to
all our freedoms, and no democratic society can ever make
journalism a crime.</p>
<p>“If the Biden Administration does not end this now, the
case will limp through the courts while Julian remains in
prison indefinitely, unconvicted, suffering and isolated,
while our young children are denied their father.”</p>
<p>A group of doctors representing over 250 medical
professionals from 35 countries wrote to US leader <a
href="https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/joe-biden">Joe
Biden</a> on Wednesday, urging him to drop charges
against Mr Assange under the Espionage Act.</p>
<p>They said: “Mr Assange continues to suffer serious,
life-threatening effects of the psychological torture he
has been subjected to for more than a decade.”</p>
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