Julian Assange sentenced to 50 weeks in UK prison for skipping bail

American authorities are pursuing extradition so he can face trial on charges that he conspired with ex-US Army analyst Chelsea Manning to disclose classified government material

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was sentenced to nearly a year in jail for skipping bail as he prepares to fight extradition to the US.

Assange was last month found guilty of bail violations following his dramatic arrest in London. 

The 47-year-old had been holed up inside the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012 as he sought to escape questioning in a Swedish sexual-assault case.

Judge Deborah Taylor at a London court hearing Wednesday sentenced him to 50 weeks in jail, saying he deliberately evaded justice.

Assange said in a letter that he regretted the course that his actions took.

"I found myself