 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has tested positive for COVID-19. The imprisoned journalist is being held in the high-security Belmarsh prison in the UK while fighting against extradition attempts to the United States. Assange has a chronic lung condition and has been placed under a 24-hour lockdown. He will remain in complete isolation in his cell until further notice. His partner Stella Assange has raised serious concerns for his health, stating that the next few days will be crucial. The news of his illness emerged just days after a massive global action took place demanding his release. An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people mobilized in London as part of this call on October 8th. Demonstrators formed a human chain that spanned nearly 2.5 kilometers encircling the Westminster Palace, the seat of the British Parliament. This is the first such human chain to be formed around the Westminster Palace with participants coming from different parts of Europe. It has been incredible. We made it, you guys. Everyone has come together. We held hands. We surrounded Parliament on both sides of the Thames and across the bridges. Hundreds of others who were not part of the human chain participated in a rally near the Parliament building. These actions were attended by prominent public figures including Labour Party MP Jeremy Corbyn, actor-comedian Russell Brandt, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Tristan Harafson and rapper Loki, among others. It's such a strong message and such a good signal to Belmarts, to the prisoner who's been sitting there for almost four years, an absolute shame on this country to have an intellectual, a journalist who committed no crime but the crime of telling the truth. This cannot go on for any longer. Australia has said the legal fight will continue and it will continue to the end. Rallies and demonstrations were also held simultaneously around the world. In Assange's home country Australia, thousands of people rallied in Melbourne against Julian's extradition to the US and demanding his release. In the US, hundreds surrounded the Department of Justice in Washington DC demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland drop charges against Assange. Actions were also held in Brazil, Morocco, Croatia, New Zealand, Ghana and South Africa. The International People's Assembly, a collective of over 200 progressive organizations, movements and parties, organized a day of international mobilizations on October 7th and an online campaign on October 8th to demand Assange's release. The ideal is to have a people who are acting against their interests. That's why we, the countries we've been facing, of these unilateral, illegal measures of the United States, of that attempt to dominate, to pressure, to maintain a constant siege against our people, because we understand what is happening to Assange and we manifest our solidarity from Venezuela. We demand that Julian Assange's release to the American Empire, and his release, and we call for all the power. Assange has been imprisoned at the High Security Belmarsh prison for over three years under judicial custody as he resists the US extradition attempts. His imprisonment continues to spite rising concerns regarding his physical and mental health. His extradition to the US was approved by former Home Secretary Preeti Patel in June this year despite revelations of falsified testimonies in the legal battle and possible assassination attempts against Assange by the CIA. Once extradited, Assange will be facing 18 federal criminal charges, 17 of which are under the Espionage Act. The charges together carry a combined maximum sentence of 175 years in prison if convicted. It is the instrumentalization of the law in order to persecute a person, a journalist, in order to keep them in prison indefinitely. For almost four years, how can anyone possibly justify this atrocity? Let's not forget that the US planned to assassinate Julian in the UK. Legal experts and rights advocates have argued that the charges are politically motivated and can threaten press freedoms not just in the US but around the world. As Assange's legal team is appealing against the Home Secretary's decision, the fight for his release has been upheld by steadfast solidarity from across the world. I am so grateful to everyone for having come out, showed your solidarity with Julian. It is so meaningful to all of us and to Julian. He will be so energized and, you know, thankful for the support that you've shown.