Julian Assange’s brother says he fears for the Wikileaks founder’s life as lawyers appeal his extradition to the US on grounds the espionage charges against him are politically motivated.

On Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT), a British court put the extradition process on hold and upheld part of a claim by Mr Assange’s legal team that the US had provided insufficient guarantees he wouldn’t receive the death penalty, or that he could rely on the First Amendment which protects freedom of speech in the US.