assange arrest
© Reuters/Henry NichollsWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in a police van, after he was arrested by British police, in London, Britain April 11, 2019.
Julian Assange is suffering from poor health as a result of mistreatment in prison, according to journalist John Pilger, who recently visited the WikiLeaks founder. Pilger said that he now fears for Assange.

Describing Assange's "deteriorating" condition, Pilger tweeted that he was being treated "worse than a murderer" at London's Belmarsh prison.

"[H]e is isolated, medicated and denied the tools to fight the bogus charges of a US extradition. I now fear for him. Do not forget him," Pilger wrote.


Assange was arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London on April 11 and received a 50-week sentence for skipping bail in a Swedish investigation involving alleged sexual assault.

The 48-year-old now faces extradition to the United States, where he is charged with possession and dissemination of classified information. If found guilty, he could receive up to 175 years in prison.
Belmarsh prison Julian Assange Wikileaks
© AFP / Daniel Leal-Olivas Reuters / Peter NichollsHMP Belmarsh, London
Assange has been in Washington's crosshairs for years, with his organization gaining notoriety after publishing a leaked video showing the US military attacking journalists and civilians in Iraq in July 2007.