Depressed Julian Assange ‘at risk of suicide’

Julian Assange has made preparations to end his life, including writing letters to family and friends and writing a will, the Old ­Bailey heard on Tuesday.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was allegedly removed from the Ecuadorean embassy on the direct orders of Donald Trump. Picture: AFP

Julian Assange has made preparations to end his life, including writing letters to family and friends and writing a will. He has also been visited by a Catholic priest for absolution, the Old ­Bailey heard on Tuesday.

The WikiLeaks founder, contesting his extradition to the US, was also involved in “a recent incident’’ at Belmarsh prison that caused concern.

Assange has told medical staff of two other incidents in the jail, such as being found with a razor blade hidden in a pile of underwear for which he was punished with four days’ solitary confinement, and claimed that on ­another occasion he was found with cords, but this evidence is contested.

Neuropsychiatrist Michael Kopelman, who has visited Assange on 20 occasions during his time in Belmarsh prison, gave in-depth details of his medical conditions and history, saying the detail of his testimony would cause Assange “some embarrassment’’ as he only reluctantly revealed his medical conditions to others.

Professor Kopelman said Assange was at a high risk of suicide because he had severe clinical depression and psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations.

Another medical expert has diagnosed Assange as having ­Asperger’s.

Professor Kopelman said if Assange were extradited, “my prediction is that he will deteriorate substantially, have a particularly severe depression, suicidal ideas and severe psychological suffering and harm’’.

He said depression, which carries a suicide risk, in addition to his Asperger’s diagnosis and the situation in which he would find himself, were only part of a long list of risks and he could not make a mathematical prediction of the risk.

“All I can do is note there are an abundance of known risk factors in Mr Assange’s case,’’ he said.

He added: “Confronted with imminent or actual extradition in this context, it remains my view that Mr Assange will act upon his suicidal impulse, driven by his psychiatric disorders.

“I say that the risk is ‘very high’ because of the reported high rates of suicide in US single-cell, segregated facilities; because of the abundance of risk factors in Mr Assange’s case; because of the intensity of his suicidal preoccupation, and the extent of his planning and preparation; and also because of his acute awareness of the prospect he faces.’’

Professor Kopelman said of the latest prison incident: “It doesn’t take me by surprise in light of everything I have said.’’

Assange’s psychiatric history includes hospitalisation in Melbourne for a week when he was in his 20s and treatment for depression between 1994-95 and 2003 and 2005.

Professor Kopelman said when Assange was in the Ecuador embassy in London, there was a deterioration in his depressive state, and in 2019 he was severely depressed. He said his condition improved at the beginning of this year where he was moderately depressed, but then deteriorated again during lockdown.

Assange, 49, had a genetic predisposition to clinical depression as two members of his family had killed themselves, he said.

James Lewis, the US prosecutor, said Professor Kopelman’s opinion was premised upon speculation as to variables such as the length of sentence that Assange would receive and the conditions of his detention, which might or might not eventuate.

In cross-examination, the court heard Assange regularly read the British Medical Journal and didn’t want to see a psychiatrist until after he had discussed it with his legal team.

Assange is contesting extradition to the US, where he faces 18 spying charges.