UK judge blocks US request for Julian Assange to be extradited to the US for trial

A judge in London's Old Bailey said that the WikiLeaks founder could not be extradited for trial in the United States, where he would face espionage charges. The US will appeal the decision. Assange is currently being held in custody.

If convicted in the US, Mr Assange could be placed in special supermax prison measures - basically near total solitary confinement with exceptional limits on social interaction with prison guards. The judge says she is satisfied that Mr Assange has the intellect to circumvent suicide-prevention measures. He would have the single-minded determination to kill himself, if he chose to.