Friends call Julian Assange imprisonment ‘outrageous’ at bike protest

Riders set off from Belmarsh Prison before passing through several major London landmarks.

Julian Assange supporters (Jeff Moore/PA) (PA Wire)

Friends of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange have called his ongoing prison detention “outrageous” after holding bike protest in his name.

Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray said campaigners “will never stop fighting” for his freedom outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Saturday.

He was joined by around 40 bike riders who had earlier set off from Belmarsh Prison before passing through several major London landmarks, including the Cutty Sark and Tower of London.

The riders presented Mr Murray with the Walkley Award, an Australian award won by Assange for excellence in journalism.

Signs and yellow ribbons calling for release were put up outside the courts.

Assange has been held in the prison for more than four years as he fights efforts by the United States government to extradite him.

He fears spending the rest of his life in prison if he is sent to the US.

One man came dressed to the protest as the grim reaper, with a sign that read “RIP British Justice, 1215-2021”.

Murray said in a short speech: “The United States claim the ability to take any citizen of any country from any country around the world for the breaking their laws. That is simply outrageous.”

He added that Australia was “absolutely behind Julian and the desire to bring their citizen home”.