District Judge Vanessa Baraitser on Monday ruled against Julian Assange’s extradition to the US, where he is indicted on obtaining and publishing secret documents and conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.
Baraitser accepted some of the arguments posed by the defence, including that the WikiLeaks founder would probably be subjected to high levels of isolation before and after the trial in the US, so his mental health could be harshly affected.
His supporters started gathering outside the court in Old Bailey in the early morning. Shortly after the court ruled against extradition, people broke into spontaneous celebrations at what is Assange’s first legal victory in years.