Julian Assange refused bail, despite being ruled against extradition to the U.S

Julian Assange has been refused bail by a judge, who this week rejected a U.S request to have him extradited to face espionage and hacking charges.

The co-founder of WikiLeaks has been held at the Belmarsh Prison in South-East London since the past 18 months, after he was evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy - where he sought asylum since the past seven years.

According to District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, the 49-year-old still "has the incentive to abscond from these, as yet unresolved, proceedings", adding that "As a matter of fairness the US must be allowed to challenge my decision".

According to Baraitser, Assange “had already demonstrated a willingness to flout” the orders of the court, adding that he "now has every reason to stay in this jurisdiction, where he has the protection of the rule of law and this court’s decision”.

Assange's past activities, including involvement in helping the U.S whistleblower Edward Snowden, showed that he had resources to arrange his own flight.

The court also received confirmation that lawyers for the US will appeal against Monday’s extradition ruling. While rejecting arguments that Assange would not get a fair trial in the US, on Monday she blocked extradition on the basis that procedures in prisons there would not prevent him from potentially taking his own life.