Julian Assange 'could die in prison' without urgent medical treatment, warn doctors

More than 60 doctors from several countries have signed an open letter expressing serious concerns about Julian Assange's physical and mental health, and warned British authorities that the WikiLeaks founder "could die in prison" unless he receives urgent medical treatment.

The letter addressed to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, was distributed by WikiLeaks on Monday, the Hill reported.

Assange is currently serving a 50 weeks imprisonment sentence in UK's Belmarsh prison for skipping bail to avoid being sent to Sweden over sexual assault allegations. The Australian whistleblower had denied the allegations against him, asserting that they were politically motivated.

In the letter, the doctors have stated that Assange requires immediate attention lest "we have real concerns, on the evidence currently available, that Assange could die in prison. The medical situation is thereby urgent. There is no time to lose."

"During the seven years spent in the Embassy in confined living conditions, Mr Assange was visited and examined by a number of experts each of whom expressed alarm at the state of his health and requested that he be allowed access to a hospital," the letter states. "No such access was permitted."

Assange scored a legal victory last week when Sweden discontinued an investigation into alleged rape charges against him.