
Assange moved to isolation in British jail
Sunday, 12 December 2010
LONDON, Dec 11 (AFP): WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange was in a segregation unit of a London jail Saturday for his safety, as new secret US diplomatic cables were made public, increasing the embarrassment to Washington.
The 39-year-old Australian has been transferred from the main section of Wandsworth prison to an isolation unit, Jennifer Robinson, one of his legal team, said Friday. "The prison authorities are doing it for his own safety, presumably," she said.
Assange is due to appear in a London court for a second time Tuesday after being arrested on a warrant issued by Sweden, where prosecutors want to question him about allegations of rape and sexual molestation made by two women.
WikiLeaks insists the allegations are politically motivated because the whistleblowing website has enraged Washington and governments around the world by releasing thousands of classified US diplomatic cables.
Robinson complained that Assange "does not get any recreation" in the prison and "has difficulties getting phone calls out... he is on his own."
The former computer hacker is not allowed to have a laptop in his cell, but his lawyers have requested one.
Assange is in "very good" spirits but "frustrated" that he cannot answer the allegations that WikiLeaks was behind cyber attacks launched on credit card firms which have refused to do business with the website.
The 39-year-old Australian has been transferred from the main section of Wandsworth prison to an isolation unit, Jennifer Robinson, one of his legal team, said Friday. "The prison authorities are doing it for his own safety, presumably," she said.
Assange is due to appear in a London court for a second time Tuesday after being arrested on a warrant issued by Sweden, where prosecutors want to question him about allegations of rape and sexual molestation made by two women.
WikiLeaks insists the allegations are politically motivated because the whistleblowing website has enraged Washington and governments around the world by releasing thousands of classified US diplomatic cables.
Robinson complained that Assange "does not get any recreation" in the prison and "has difficulties getting phone calls out... he is on his own."
The former computer hacker is not allowed to have a laptop in his cell, but his lawyers have requested one.
Assange is in "very good" spirits but "frustrated" that he cannot answer the allegations that WikiLeaks was behind cyber attacks launched on credit card firms which have refused to do business with the website.