Not trying to destroy art, says man planning to do that if Assange dies in jail

Russian dissident artist Andrei Molodkin is locking 16 artworks, which he estimates are worth more than $45m, in a 29-tonne Swiss safe as a protest tied to Julian Assange's imprisonment. The works, including pieces by Picasso, Rembrandt and Andy Warhol, will be destroyed by a corrosive chemical reaction within two hours only if Assange dies in prison, with a 24-hour countdown reset whenever someone close to Assange confirms his wellbeing. Molodkin says he does not expect the works to be destroyed and describes the project, called Dead Man's Switch, as a way to start a discussion about freedom of speech. Assange, held in Belmarsh prison and facing extradition to the US, is due at a court hearing on 20 and 21 February.