Virus delays Assange extradition case
Hearings in the U.S. extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not go ahead next month as scheduled.
A British judge ruled on Monday (April 27) that there should be a delay because of the lockdown which prevents lawyers from attending court.
48-year-old Assange is being held at London's Belmarsh Prison where he's fighting a request by the United States to send him to stand trial on accusations that he conspired to hack government computers and espionage.
Assange was dragged from the Ecuador embassy in London last year after a seven-year standoff.
He says he could spend decades in prison if convicted, calling the case againay him political and a threat to free speech.
The US says he put the lives of informants in danger by publishing secrets.
Britain's restrcitons to curb the spread of coronavirus have made it difficult to hold normal court proceedings.
The judge said the case could not be argued properly as long as lawyers weren't able to appear in person.
A new date for the case will be fixed next month.
