Assange Outraged With Jail-Time For Jumping Bail

Julian Assange, the co-founder of WikiLeaks, has received a 50-week jail sentence in the United Kingdom for jumping bail–and his legal troubles are far from over. Assange called the almost-year-long sentence “an outrage.”

“Julian Assange’s sentence is as shocking as it is vindictive. We have grave concerns as to whether he will receive a fair extradition hearing in the UK,” the official WikiLeaks Twitter page tweeted after the sentencing. “Julian Assange’s sentence, for seeking and receiving asylum, is twice as much as the sentencing guidelines. The so-called speedboat killer, convicted of manslaughter, was only sentenced to six months for failing to appear in court…Assange’s defense provided ample evidence at today’s sentencing hearing regarding mitigation, none of which was taken into account by the judge. We urge everyone to read the submission and come to their own conclusions as to the fairness of the sentence.”

After he serves his prison sentence in Britain, Assange could be extradited to the United States to face charges that he leaked stolen documents and classified material from the Department of Defense. He could also face sexual assault charges in Sweden.

The judge who presided over Assange’s case, Deborah Taylor, justified the sentence by saying Assange had not surrendered “willingly” and made repeated attempts to evade justice.

“It is essential to the rule of law that nobody is above or beyond the reach of the law,” Taylor said. “Orders of the court are to be obeyed.”