Extreme monitoring and bugs: Ex-inmate details Julian Assange’s likely treatment in Belmarsh prison

Julian Assange is likely the focus of unwanted attention from both prison officers and his fellow cellmates at HMP Belmarsh, according to a former inmate of various prisons in the UK.

The WikiLeaks founder was sentenced to 50 weeks incarceration at the high-security London facility following his dramatic arrest at the Ecuadorian embassy last month.

Former prisoner Pepsi Watson says that Assange’s profile will mean he will be the source of immense curiosity amongst the prison’s inmates.

“Julian Assange in HMP Belmarsh is extremely high profile, he will have a massive aura about him within HMP Belmarsh, people will just want to get a look at him through the gate or you know he’ll be spoken about, news about him will spread like wildfire around the prison,” he told RT.

Belmarsh has had numerous infamous inmates throughout its history including Michael Adebolajo, one of Lee Rigby’s murderers, Ronnie Biggs, of great train robbery fame, and “Britain’s most notorious prisoner” Charles Bronson.

Watson believes the whistleblower is likely being extremely closely monitored by prison officers, with his phone calls listened to and restricted and potentially even his cell fitted with listening devices.

“Due to his high profile nature, it’s highly probable in my opinion that he will be monitored closer than normal, all his phone calls will be listened to, he will only get 10 minute phone calls, he will be lucky to get one phone call a day, that will be monitored everyday,” he said.

Every single one of his incoming and outgoing letters will be very closely monitored and read by the security department here, he will be observed on visits, his visit lists and visitors who come to apply to visit him will be thoroughly checked out.

“He’ll have the privacy in his own cell, in his prison cell but in these Category A high-security prisons like Belmarsh, the prison officers here and the security departments have got the resources to bug Assange’s cell if they feel that they need to do that,” he added.

Assange awaits extradition to the US where he faces 17 charges, including violation of the Espionage Act, for his role in publishing US war logs, government cables and other documents.

Meanwhile, Swedish prosecutors are talking about reviving sexual assault charges against the Australian, based on claims that he had consensual but unprotected sex with two women in 2010.

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