Wikileaks founder Julian Assange jailed for 50 weeks as he claims he hid in Ecuadorian embassy because he feared ‘kidnap’ by US

WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange today shook his fist in defiance as he was jailed for 50 weeks for hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The 47-year-old “apologised unreservedly” for jumping British bail seven years ago – claiming he feared he would be “kidnapped” by the US because of his works with the whistle-blower website.

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But Assange was today jailed for close to the maximum one year sentence possible as the judge told him he still “had a choice” and put himself deliberately out of reach of the law.

The WikiLeaks founder this morning ditched the long beard he had sported as he was arrested last month for trimmed facial hair as he appeared at Southwark Crown Court.

Assange himself even read a grovelling letter, with his lawyers claiming he had been dominated by fears he would be kidnapped and “forcibly taken” to the US.

In mitigation for Assange Mark Summers QC, said: “As threats rained down on him from America, they overshadowed everything as far as he was concerned.

“They dominated his thoughts. They were not invented by him, they were gripping him throughout.”

Mr Summers said Assange’s fears that he could face rendition from Sweden to the US were well founded and “not a figment of his imagination”.

Sweden at the time, he said, had a “well documented and unfortunate history” of sending “people to states where they were at significant risk of ill treatment including torture and death”.

There were reports of discussions between Sweden and the US over the matter, Mr Summers said.

“That’s not a figment of his imagination,” he added. “They were reasonable fears.”

He further claimed that Assange’s seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy had left him “sad, degraded and insecure”.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

In a letter read to court, Assange said: “I apologise unreservedly to those who consider that I have disrespected them by the way I pursued my case.

“I found myself struggling with difficult circumstances.

“I did what I thought at the time was the best or perhaps the only thing that I could have done.

“I regret the course that that has taken.”

Those difficulties, the letter continued, were “compounded” and also “impacted upon very many others”.

But Judge Deborah Taylor told Assange he would serve 50 weeks behind bars, saying: “You have had fears but you had a choice.”

She added: “It’s difficult to envisage a more serious example of this offence.

“By hiding in the embassy you deliberately put yourself out of reach, while remaining in the UK.”

She told Assange that by doing so he had “exploited your privileged position to flout the law” – with it costing British taxpayers an estimated £16m as he sought to “delay justice”.

Supporters this morning gathered outside the court, chanting “free Julian Assange”.

Tomorrow, Assange will face a hearing about his potential extradition to the US over the allegation he conspired with intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to infiltrate Pentagon computers.

Prosecutors in Sweden are also mulling whether to reopen the sexual assault case against Assange, which was dropped in May 2017. Assange denies the allegations.

Since he was dramatically hauled from the embassy, strange stories have been emerging about his behaviour while he stayed there under asylum status.

Staff complained about him riding his skateboard on the polished floors, as well as playing football and generally being untidy.

He was also said to stage “dirty protests” in which he would stuff his underpants down the toilet and leave unwashed dishes in the kitchen.

And employees said they were annoyed by him playing loud music at night.

It was even claimed his cat was taken away from the embassy because he didn’t look after it.

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