A London judge has denied bail to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after ruling this week that he must not be extradited to the U.S. to face espionage charges due to a high risk of suicide.

The state of play: Deemed a flight risk by the judge, Assange must now remain in British prison as the U.S. government appeals the decision to block his extradition. Assange's lawyers say his mental health has deteriorated significantly after he spent years in London's Ecuadorian Embassy seeking asylum before his arrest last year.

The big picture: Assange's has raised significant questions about First Amendment protections for publishers of classified information, as the WikiLeaks founder argues he was acting as a journalist when he published leaked documents on Iraq and Afghanistan.

• The 49-year-old Australian faces up to 175 years in prison in the U.S. if ultimately extradited and found guilty of all charges in the 18-count indictment filed against him.
• His case has becoAssange's has raised significant questions about First Amendment protections for publishers of classified information, as the WikiLeaks founde argues he was acting as a journalist when he published leaked documents on Iraq and Afghanistan.6 election.