More Assange supporters than journalists, who came to the site to cover the event, were present to stand in solidarity. The slogans chanted by the activists could be heard through the windows of the court.
Assange himself, who was brought to the court by a patrol wagon, looked better than on the day of his arrest — he was not so pale, and his beard and hair were neatly trimmed. On arrival to the court, he raised a clenched fist, suggesting that he was not going to give in.
Meanwhile, the court announced its decision, sentencing Assange to 50 weeks in jail, according to reports.
The tough sentence that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faced for breaching bail caused outrage among his supporters, who gathered in the courthouse of the London district of Southwark and near it, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.
"No! It's a shame", the visitors of the court shouted from their seats.
Near the court building, Assange's supporters lined up in front of numerous television cameras and chanted slogans, demanding to deny whistlebrower's extradition and to release him.
They chanted "US, UK, hands off Assange" holding banners saying "Free Assange" and "No extradition. Free Julian Assange" among others.
#Assange supporters outside #Southwark Crown Court while court hearing for his sentence happens inside pic.twitter.com/EJVO5hVakw
— Claudia Rebaza (@crebazacnn) 1 мая 2019 г.
READ MORE: Assange Sentenced to 50 Weeks in Jail by UK Court for Skipping Bail — Reports
In April, Metropolitan Police arrested Assange and dragged him out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had been residing for years over fear of extradition to the United States. The whistle-blowing site publishes what it claims are US government classified documents.
Shortly after Assange's arrest, WikiLeaks said the United States wanted to build an espionage case against Assange. An espionage charge can carry the death penalty or imprisonment for life. However, the US Department of Justice said it was seeking Assange's extradition over "conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified US government computer."
