Julian Assange is sent to "Guantanamo of Britain" after his arrest

Considered at the time as Guantanamo Bay, in Britain, Belmarsh, in south-east London, hosted prominent prisoners such as Abu Qatada, described by a Spanish judge as the right arm in Europe of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. and four men who attempted to commit a suicide bombing of London's public transport network. This site is perhaps an indication of the strategic line adopted by the British authorities regarding the detention of the 47-year-old man who is fighting extradition to the United States for divulging secrets of the government of that country .

According to a report from inspectors last year, Belmarsh receives different types of criminals, from low-risk criminals to a unit in which are found some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country. The prison also has a small number of inmates who require specific management conditions because of their public profile.

The surroundings will not be totally unknown to Assange. He was in another London prison, Wandsworth Prison, for nine days in 2010 for an extradition request from Sweden. When Assange was released on bail, his lawyer, Jen Robinson, then set the conditions for the "Dickensian" complex and promised that his client would never come back. Assange for his part felt that his stay was an opportunity to think.

"During my stay in a Victorian prison, I had the time to reflect on the living conditions of people in the world who are also placed in isolation in more difficult conditions than those I was facing." said Assange at the time.

A spokesman for Assange confirmed that he was in Belmarsh. Robinson and one of his lawyers, Ben Cooper, did not respond to e-mails asking for comments. It was not possible to contact the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Their living conditions in the Ecuadorian office were basic. According to media reports, he stayed in a room with a bed, a table and a free treadmill, without natural light.

There is little time left outside the cell. According to the inspectors' report, nearly half of the prisoners reported spending less than two hours a week outside of them.

If Assange stays in the high security unit, the situation can be even more difficult. The inspector's report described the conditions as "extremely claustrophobic" and access to the gym and library was more restricted.