The father of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has told the BBC his son would face what is effectively a "death sentence" were he sent to the United States to face trial.

In an interview with Victoria Derbyshire, John Shipton raised concerns over his son's health ahead of a controversial extradition hearing starting next week, saying Assange had felt "ceaseless anxiety".

The US wants the founder of the Wikileaks website to face 18 charges of attempted hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act.

While it is not thought he could face the death penalty, the charges could - in theory - result in a 170-year prison sentence.

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