Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offers Assange political asylum

MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has offered political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, after a UK court blocked the latter's extradition to the US, citing concerns over his "mental health and "risk of suicide".

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the President said he will ask the Foreign Affairs Ministry to contact British officials over the asylum offer and request that Assange be pardoned, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It is a triumph of justice. I commend England's action because Assange is a journalist and deserves a chance," Lopez Obrador told reporters, referring to the ruling. "We will give him protection, we will take that step," the President added.

The 49-year-old, who spent almost seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, faces an 18-count indictment from US authorities accusing him of recruiting hackers to steal military secrets.

Following Monday's order, Assange was taken back to the Belmarsh Prison, where he is being held and a full application for his bail will be made on Wednesday.

In the ruling, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said that while US prosecutors met the tests for Assange to be extradited for trial, the US was incapable of preventing him from attempting to take his own life.

She outlined evidence of his self harm and suicidal thoughts and said: "The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future," the BBC reported. (IANS)

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