Julian Assange has been ‘trapped’ says Vivienne Westwood

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This comes as Ms Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, faces the second day of his trial at the Royal Courts of Justice. The US government is currently appealing against the High Court’s decision not to extradite Assange to the United States, a decision which was taken on the basis of Mr Assange’s poor mental health.

Speaking to a crowd of people who had gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London to support Mr Assange, the former Labour leader said: “He’s committed no crime, and he’s in a maximum security prison.

“If he moved to the United States, he may well, because of his mental health condition, take his own life.

“That is what we have done to this person who told us the truth, the truth about Afghanistan, the truth about Iraq, the truth about surveillance and revealed the incredible levels of secret power held by the United States and indeed many other Governments around the world.

“In a different country, he would be hailed as a whistleblower who told the truth about the dangers we are all facing, the dangers the whole world is facing.

“I think we should bear witness to Julian’s bravery and his determination and demand two things: one that he’s not removed under any circumstances to the United States, and secondly that he be released from Belmarsh so he can continue his life with his partner, with his children.”

This is not the first time Mr Corbyn has demonstrated support for Mr Assange.

Earlier in the year, the Labour politician posted on Twitter saying: “Today Julian Assange will spend his 50th birthday in a maximum security prison. The jailing of a journalist by the UK (and the ongoing efforts by the US to extradite him) show these governments are determined to suppress inconvenient truths. #FreeAssange”

In January, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that Mr Assange could not be extradited to the US due to concerns over his mental health.

Assange, 50, is currently facing charges in the US of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks’ publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

The documents revealed how the US military had killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents during the war in Afghanistan, while leaked Iraq war files showed the 66,000 civilians had been killed and prisoners tortured by Iraqi forces.

Supporters of Assange have argued that his extradition to the United States would threaten journalism in the UK, with Tim Dawson from the International Federation of Journalists saying: “If you criminalise news gathering, you are criminalising journalism.

“It is a moral duty for journalists to protect sources. Many have gone to jail to protect that principle.”

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The US says the leaks broke the law and endangered lives but Mr Assange argues that the case is politically motivated.

His lawyer told the court that the risk of suicide would be “imminent the moment extradition becomes likely”.

But James Lewis QC, for the prosecution, that the judge had misjudged the evidence on Assange’s suicidal risk.

He said Assange “does not currently have a mental health condition which precludes his extradition” and is “fit to participate in legal proceedings”.

The Wikileaks founder is currently being held in Belmarsh prison, where he has been held since 2019 after being removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

He had been in the embassy since 2012, avoiding extradition to Sweden, where he faced sex offence allegations.

He has always denied those charges and they were eventually dropped.

The two-day High Court proceedings before the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and Lord Justice Holroyde is due to end today with a decision expected at a later date.

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