UK court ruling against Assange's extradition victory for all journalists: Lawyer

The decision of a UK court to block WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition to the United States is a victory for all journalists, the whistleblower's Ecuadorean lawyer, Carlos Poveda, told Sputnik on Monday.

"This decision is not only a personal triumph for Assange but also for all journalists. It is a global achievement that we all must rally behind," he said, adding that some journalists were complicit in his persecution by choosing to stay silent.

Poveda added he had a mixed bag of feelings about the ruling because the UK district court judge was only concerned with Assange's frail mental condition while ignoring the violation of his basic rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

UK district judge Vanessa Baraitser said that Assange would be a suicide risk if he was handed over to the United States, where he faces up to 175 years in jail for publishing classified information on the US wars in Iraq and Afghstan as well as thousands of diplomatic cables. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )