WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gestures from the window of a prison van on May 1, 2019 as he is driven out of Southwark Crown Court in London, after having been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching his bail conditions in 2012. Photo: VCG

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, still jailed in the UK's Belmarsh prison, won in court earlier this year when Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled against his extradition to the United States. However, he faces an appeal that begins on October 27. Whatever his fate may be, the entire process shows that Washington is ruthless in its brutal suppression of the truth. 

What's important to know about this appeal, first of all, is that it's primarily based on the state of Assange's health. Judge Baraitser denied the US extradition request in January, a decision based only on the fact that Assange is in poor mental and physical health. Had it not been for this, the court's decision makes clear that Washington's legal arguments would have held up in court. 

So, while Assange technically won, it's clear that the legal mechanism for extraditing foreign journalists to the US, at least in the UK, has already been established. It was probably the best possible scenario for the UK legal system: Avoiding the fallout from Assange's extradition (and his imprisonment and torture by the US) while handing Washington a key legal victory. It was an abject miscarriage of justice dolled up as a win for civil liberties. 

It's important to also recognize that in the wake of this outcome, the US has actually become more brazen in its global kidnapping ring. This is especially so in the case of Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman employed by the Venezuelan government as a permanent envoy. They successfully extradited him to the US a few weeks ago in direct violation of the Vienna Convention.

Saab, a Venezuelan diplomatic passport holder, was arrested for violating US sanctions that are themselves illegal under international law. He also claims to have been tortured while in arbitrary custody in Cape Verde while awaiting his extradition, where the US even sent a Navy cruiser to secure him. The whole thing shows nothing else than that the US has complete contempt for international law in every respect.

However, Washington, still not satisfied with the dystopian kidnapping ring it's firmly established among its vassals, is intent on taking personal action against Assange in order to make an example of him and deter honest, hard-hitting national security reporting as it has with countless other whistleblowers and journalists.

The US is now insisting to London's high court that Assange would not be held under the strictest maximum-security conditions and could even spend time in his native Australia. This was put forward because the court had recognized during the case that Assange's detention in a US prison, no doubt under solitary confinement, a UN-recognized form of torture, would probably lead to his suicide.

Even if this was accepted at face value, which it shouldn't be, a recent investigation by Yahoo News revealed that top US officials had seriously discussed plans to kidnap or murder Assange while in the UK. Assange's defense will certainly mention this in their counter-arguments on October 28. It's also expected that they will present some new medical evidence suggesting his condition has worsened.

His defense may also mention the fact that key testimony from Sigurdur Thordarson, a former WikiLeaks worker who later became an FBI informant out of fear, admitted that he had "fabricated" evidence cited by the US legal team. However, this would likely be saved for a counter-appeal if the US extradition attempt this week is successful. 

Regardless of the outcome this week, the US is clearly going to exhaust all of its options, including an appeal to the UK's supreme court. This means that even if Assange wins again he might still languish in prison for several more years only to suffer needlessly and unjustly. 

It shows that Washington is not just content with winning the legal battle in principle, which it already has, but is actually hellbent on the wanton torture of individuals who dare to expose its crimes as some kind of terrorism against the truth. This is ultimately because the US and its allies are deeply perturbed by the reality of their own deeds. This includes a litany of crimes against humanity that are being shown to the world. 

That these very same countries claim to be positive examples of "democracy," "human rights" or "freedom of speech" will perhaps be one of history's sickest jokes.

The author is a Prague-based American journalist, political analyst and freelance reporter. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn