Wikileaks founder Julian Assange missed his third court date in a row this morning after saying he is “too unwell” to participate in the hearing.
The 49-year-old is currently being held at HMP Belmarsh while awaiting the restart of his extradition proceedings, currently due to happen in September.
Assange is wanted for questioning in the United States over the mass leak of defence cables on Wikileaks relating to the Iraq and Afghan wars.
At a brief hearing this morning, Westminster magistrates court heard Assange has indicated to prison guards that he would not be attending court via videolink.
His barrister Edward Fitzgerald QC said Assange has a pre-existing respiratory condition, and his legal team have been calling for him to be released on bail due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Assange was not present at the last two hearings of his case, which have dealt with administrative matters in anticipation of the extradition hearing restarting.
The court was told today that a new venue for the case has not yet been found, but the hearings are due to start again on September 7.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser this morning approved Assange’s continued detention until the next hearing on June 29.
Assange’s extradition hearings began in February and were due to resume last month, but the plan had to be abandoned in the face of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Today’s hearing was attended in person by some journalists and observers of the case, while others had organised to dial-in remotely by phone.
Much of today’s proceedings was inaudible over the phone link, a problem compounded by one of the caller talking while lawyers in court were addressing the judge.
Press freedom organisation Bridges for Media Freedom said Assange “did not attend an administrative hearing at Westminster magistrates court by videolink this morning due to
illness”, and added he has a “long-standing respiratory issue makes him vulnerable to contracting Covid-19”.
Judge Baraitser has refused to grant Assange bail, saying he would be at risk of absconding if he were to be released on bail.
