WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was unable to attend his latest court hearing in his extradition case, citing health issues.
A lawyer for Assange told a judge Monday that he “had respiratory problems for some time” and was not able to appear for the video conference.
It’s the third consecutive hearing that Assange has missed related to his extradition to the United States.
Assange is being held in Belmarsh Prison near London ahead of his extradition hearings set for September. The United States has accused him of violating the Espionage Act relating to his WikiLeaks work.
Until his arrest in April 2019, Assange had been holed up for seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He took refuge there in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning in a sexual assault investigation. That case was dropped, but WikiLeaks feared Assange could be extradited to the U.S.
He was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail in May 2019 after he was found guilty of breaking his bail conditions when he claimed asylum in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.
Dozens of doctors said late last year that Assange could die in prison if he did not receive medical care for his ailments, which included depression, dental issues, and pain in his shoulder.
