By Jill Lawless -
The Associated Press
Julian Assange's lawyers presented their latest appeal on Tuesday to prevent the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder to the United States, which accuses him of espionage, arguing that his actions exposed serious criminal acts by US authorities and that he would face a “flagrant denial of justice” in the North American country.
Assange was not present in court.
Judge Victoria Sharp said she gave her permission to leave Belmarsh prison, where she has been held for five years, but she chose not to.
Assange's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, said the 52-year-old Australian was unwell, but did not go into details.
Assange
has been fighting extradition for more than 10 years
, first during seven years of self-exile in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and for the last five years in the high-security prison on the outskirts of London.
Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, May 19, 2017. Frank Augstein / AP
He is accused of espionage and criminal use of a computer by publishing confidential documents on his website.
US prosecutors say she helped military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic communications and files that WikiLeaks published, putting lives at risk.
For his followers, Assange is a secret-revealing journalist who exposed crimes by the US armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They maintain that the accusations are politically motivated and that she does not receive a fair trial in the United States.
Dozens of supporters held up signs reading “free Julian Assange” and chanted “one decision, no extradition” in a noisy protest outside a London court where lawyers are asking judges to grant a new appeal hearing, their last resource in Great Britain.
“We don't know what to expect, but you are here because the world is watching,” his wife, Stella Assange, told the crowd.
“They can't get away with it.
Julian needs freedom from him and we all need to know the truth.”