Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei visits Julian Assange in prison hospital, urges Britain to stop WikiLeaks founder’s extradition to US
- Ai, who went to London prison with Assange’s father, says the WikiLeaks founder’s health is ‘deteriorating’
- US is seeking Assange’s extradition to face charges over leaking classified material
Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a London prison hospital, saying that his health is “deteriorating” and urging Britain and other European nations to prevent his extradition to the United States.
Berlin-based Ai said he visited the Australian national at Belmarsh prison alongside Assange’s father on Tuesday, one day before a British court is expected to hold a case management hearing on a US extradition request.
“He is in the prison hospital and his health is deteriorating,” Ai wrote on Twitter and Instagram.
“He is grateful for the support given to him. The UK and Europe must defend human rights and stop his extradition to the US where he faces 18 charges and up to 175 years in jail.”
The US government has accused Assange, 47, of conspiring with former US military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to leak a trove of classified material in 2010.