The father of WikiLeaks founder, John Shipton is concerned that his son Julian Assange could die in prison in the UK, reports The Daily Mail.

“Julian could die in prison after nine years of persecution for uncovering the truth about war crimes,” he told reporters in Geneva.

Shipton added that “it’s not painful distress for my father, it’s just a fact.”

This statement was made by Assange’s father two days after he visited his son in a British prison.

In early November, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Niels Meltzer, expressed concerns for Assange’s life related to “explicit neglect of his rights and dignity.” According to his statement, during a survey in May of this year, Assange had “noticeable symptoms typical of prolonged psychological torture.”

Meltzer pointed out the need to transfer Assange to a medical unit at the detention center, and also said that although Assange is involved in “one of the most powerful governments in the world,” his access to documents and legal services is seriously hindered.

He also recommended abandoning the possible extradition of Assange to the United States and release him from custody.

In April 2019, Ecuadorian authorities allowed British police to enter the embassy and arrest the Wikileaks founder, who had been hiding there for about seven years.

In early May, a court in the UK sent Assange to jail for 50 weeks for violating bail conditions.

In June, the UK Supreme Court ruled that a hearing on Assange’s extradition to the US will be held in February 2020, where he is accused of conspiring with former Wikileaks informant Chelsea Manning to hack into government computer networks. At this point, Assange’s conclusion in the UK is not yet complete.