Geneva, Nov 12 (Sputnik) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is in very poor condition and needs to be allowed to see the doctors he chooses, Assange’s father, John Shipton, told Sputnik.
“He is not very well. After many years of being persecuted, his health is beginning to suffer badly … We believe that he can recover if circumstances change very quickly,” his father said.
According to him, Assange is being provided with medical assistance in the British prison, but his lawyers insist that the doctors must be of Assange’s own choosing.
Shipton also said that he would like to contact the Russian authorities in order to receive additional assistance for the release of his son.
Since Assange’s arrest earlier in the year, various experts have made claims regarding his health.
In May, independent UN rights expert Nils Melzer condemned the “deliberate and concerted abuse” inflicted on Assange for years by the governments of the US, the UK and Sweden. The expert said Assange had been systematically persecuted and his health had deteriorated as a result of his prolonged exposure to stress and psychological trauma.
In September, Assange’s lawyer, Carlos Poveda, told Sputnik that the WikiLeaks founder was isolated in jail and faced serious health problems.
Earlier in November, Melzer issued another report, saying London had failed to ensure that the detention of Assange complied with international law. The expert noted that Assange’s health continued to deteriorate and emphasized that his life was at risk.
Assange was taken to prison in April after being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had lived for years. Since then, the WikiLeaks founder has been kept in detention as he waits for hearings on his extradition to the United States, which he has opposed.
