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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 23 september 2020
Expert: WikiLeaks’ Assange a suicide risk if extradited

LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks Belmarsh Prison, where he
founder Julian Assange is is being held as he awaits
very likely to attempt to kill an extradition decision. He
himself if he is sent to the said the 49-year-old As-
United States to face espio- sange had experienced
nage charges, a psychiat- “auditory hallucinations” in
ric expert said Tuesday at which he heard “deroga-
an extradition hearing in tory and persecutory” voic-
London. es.
Michael Kopelman, emeri- “The voices are things like,
tus professor of neuropsy- ‘you are dust, you are
chiatry at King’s College dead, we are coming to
London, said Assange has get you,’” he said.
a history of depression and Under cross-examination
there is a “very high” risk of by James Lewis, a lawyer
suicide if the U.S. extradi- representing the U.S. gov-
tion attempt succeeds. ernment, Kopelman said
“It’s the imminence of ex- he was always alert to the
tradition and/or an actual possibility a patient might
extradition that will trigger be “malingering” or exag-
the attempt, in my opin- gerating.
ion,” Kopelman said during Assange’s defense team
testimony as a witness for argues that he is a journalist
Assange at London’s Old and entitled to First Amend-
Bailey criminal court. ment protections for pub-
U.S. prosecutors have in- People queue at the entrance of the Old Bailey court in London, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, as the lishing leaked documents
dicted Assange on 17 es- Julian Assange extradition hearing to the US continues. that exposed U.S. military
pionage charges and one Associated Press wrongdoing in Iraq and
charge of computer misuse Afghanistan. They also say
over WikiLeaks’ publication pression and suicide and disorder, which has been fessed to the Catholic the conditions he would
of secret American military the isolation he has experi- associated with an in- priest, who granted him face in a U.S. prison would
documents a decade ago. enced — first in the Ecua- creased tendency to rumi- absolution, began to draft breach his human rights.
The charges carry a maxi- dorian embassy in London, nate on suicide. farewell letters to family The extradition hearing
mum sentence of 175 years where he took refuge in He said Assange had an members and close friends, in London began Sept. 7
in prison. 2012, and since April 2019 “intense suicidal preoccu- he’s drawn up a will,” said and is due to last until early
Kopelman said Assange in a British prison. pation.” Kopelman. October, with Judge Van-
faced “an abundance of Kopelman said Assange “He’s made various plans Kopelman said he had visit- essa Baraitser likely to take
known risk factors” includ- has also been diagnosed and undergone various ed Assange about 20 times weeks or months to consid-
ing a family history of de- with an autism spectrum preparations, such as con- in London’s high-security er her decision.q

Australia state leader welcomes Israeli extradition ruling

lesting three sisters — Dassi is quite amazing. Quite Leifer, a former educator,
Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly amazing," Andrews said. has been fighting extradi-
Sapper — while they were "This is a really, really good tion from Israel since 2014.
students at a Melbourne outcome for victims of child Leifer maintains her inno-
ultra-Orthodox school. sexual abuse. And to Dassi cence and the battle sur-
Andrews welcomed a Je- and her family, to her sisters rounding her extradition
rusalem District Court rul- and extended family, they has strained relations be-
ing on Monday that Leifer have our praise. We admire tween Israel and Australia.
could be extradited to Aus- them, their strength is an in- Earlier this month, Israel's
tralia to stand trial for 74 spiration," he added. Supreme Court rejected an
charges of child sex abuse, Andrews could not say if appeal by Leifer's attorney
potentially paving the way a trial would be expedited over a Jerusalem court's rul-
for the Israeli citizen to if Leifer returned to Mel- ing that she was mentally fit
stand trial in Victoria after a bourne, where the court to stand trial, saying it was
six-year legal battle. system has been disrupted "putting an end to the saga
"This is a very, a very signifi- by a pandemic lockdown. that has been drawn out
Sisters Elly Sapir, left, Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, right, who cant day for victims of child Erlick described the Israeli for many years."
claim to have been sexual abused by a former teacher pose sexual abuse across our en- court decision as a "huge, On Monday, the Jerusa-
for a photograph following a press conference in Melbourne,
Australia, May 27, 2020. tire state, and to come, as huge moment." lem District Court ruled that
Associated Press it does, so close to Jewish "Nine years (have passed) Leifer could be extradited.
New Year, can I say Sha- since we gave our police The formal extradition now
By ROD McGUIRK er wanted in Australia on nah Tovah to Dassi Erlich statement," Erlick told Aus- requires an order by Israel's
Associated Press charges of molesting chil- and her sisters," Andrews tralian Broadcasting Corp. justice minister. Leifer's at-
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) dren as a victory for abuse said, using a Hebrew New "We never imagined at the torneys said they would ap-
— An Australian state lead- victims. Year greeting. time how long it would take peal an extradition order to
er on Tuesday described Daniel Andrews is premier "They're heroes. The cour- and how big this moment Israel's Supreme Court, say-
an Israeli court decision to of Victoria state where Mal- age, the grace, and the would be, but we are finally ing it would be a "political
extradite a former teach- ka Leifer is accused of mo- dignity of those Victorians here," she added. decision."q