Back to prison: Assange sentenced to a year behind bars
A London court has sentenced WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to 50 weeks in prison for violating bail conditions.
The verdict was read at the Royal Court in the London Borough of Southwark, the BBC reports.
“In my view, the seriousness of the offense you have committed, even taking into account mitigating circumstances, requires a sentence that is close to the maximum severity. The sentence will be 50 weeks' imprisonment,” Judge Deborah Taylor ruled.
The maximum sentence Assange faced was a year, or 52 weeks.
At the same time, the judge emphasized that she took into account possible mitigating circumstances, however, in her words, “no one can be above the law and ignore court orders.” The judge also noted that Assange’s actions cannot be characterized as explicable by valid reasons, and the seven-year period of his voluntary stay in the embassy can be counted as prison. Taylor stressed that Assange could count on early release after serving half of his sentence if he commits no further offenses.
At the same time, a comment appeared on the WikiLeaks Twitter page that the court’s decision was “shocking” because it was based on revenge. The organization also expressed doubts that the trial in the Assange extradition case would be fair.
Back to prison : Assange sentenced to a year behind bars