US lawyers assure court Julian Assange can be ‘safely’ extradited from Britain

Lawyers for the United States government insist Julian Assange can be ‘safely’ extradited from Britain, telling appeal judges in London that concerns about his mental health should not prevent him from facing justice.

A supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a placard after the first hearing on extradition appeal, at the High Court in London this month. Source: AP

The US wants him to face trial on espionage and hacking charges related to the publication of secret government documents. 

Mr Assange’s team argues he remains at serious risk of self-harm - and say an American pledge the Wikileaks founder could serve any sentence in Australia is meaningless.