'Best news': Assange's mother after UK court rules against extradition to US

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's mother Christine said Monday's decision by a UK court to block her son's extradition to the United States was the "best news".

"Thank you #TeamAssange... Its not over till he's safely home & all charges dropped, but today was the best news.. Its been 10 long traumatic years. I hope I will hold my son again soon...like I did here in 2010," she wrote on Twitter.

Fidel Narvaez, a former Ecuadorean consul who knew Assange from his time as a refugee at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, told the media outside the court that the ruling was a "victory of all the people who never gave up".

"The British judicial system wanted to save the face today, for those who were inside listening to the judge it was like listening to the prosecutors' statements to begin with. If it is not for the very, very fragile health condition of Julian Assange he will be already extradited," he said.

He noted that the UK judicial system had upheld the political arguments provided by the US, meng that freedom of expression was still under attack.

"The judge had to recognize... the oppressive conditions of the US prison system and their special administrative measure for espionage cases and the risk of Julian going for suicide if he is extradited, that was the only things that stopped that," he added.

The WikiLeaks founder and whistleblower is wanted in the US on espionage charges after his website leaked thousands of secret US cables on Iraqi and Afghan wars. The court denied a US request to extradite him over concerns for the 49-year-old's mental health. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )