In a piece for Croakey Health Media, MAPW President Dr Sue Wareham calls for health leaders and groups to join efforts to prevent the extradition of Julian Assange from the UK to the US.
Assange has been detained in London’s Belmarsh high security prison for over three years.
Serious physical and mental health concerns that threaten Assange’s life have been raised by many people, including the group Doctors for Assange, which now represents over 300 doctors around the world. In Australia, the Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW) is among those groups that have spoken out also.
In November 2019 Doctors for Assange wrote to the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel expressing concern at the continued deterioration of Assange’s health, both during his seven years from 2012 in the Ecuadorian Embassy and since his arrest and detention in early 2019.
It referred to the alarming report of UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer (with similar concerns raised by others) that Assange showed “all the symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture”.
Melzer had stated “Despite the medical urgency of my appeal, and the seriousness of the alleged violations, the UK has not undertaken any measures of investigation, prevention and redress required under international law.” Patel did not reply to the doctors’ letter.
On 13 June, MAPW wrote to Prime Minister Albanese, urging his intervention on behalf of this Australian citizen, and stating that on medical grounds Julian Assange must not be extradited. The MAPW letter welcomed views previously expressed by Albanese in December 2021 that “enough is enough” in this ongoing saga.
Read the full article in Croakey Health Media.