Archiv: Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey / London)


07.01.2021 - 18:32 [ theGrayzone.com ]

UK judge justifies CIA spying on Assange citing debunked CNN report based on… CIA spying

In one of the most brazenly political sections in her December 4 legal judgment, Westminster district judge Vanessa Baraitser cited a suspect report by CNN that accused Assange of conspiring with Russians to turn Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he was trapped in refuge for roughly seven years, “into a command post for election meddling.”

Baraitser twice pointed to this dubious CNN article in order to justify a 24/7 CIA spying operation that targeted not only Assange, but Ecuador’s embassy and its sovereign operations and internal affairs as well.

What the British judge failed to mention is that the CNN story she relied on was itself based entirely on untrustworthy intelligence reports drafted by a Spanish security firm called UC Global, which secretly worked with the CIA to spy on the WikiLeaks publisher and Ecuadorian embassy staff.

06.01.2021 - 09:12 [ United Nations ]

UN human rights expert ‘cautiously welcomes’ UK court’s refusal to extradite Julian Assange

“If extradited to the United States, he faces a sentence of up to 175 years imprisonment under inhumane conditions of near total isolation,” Mr. Melzer added.

According to the news release, the Special Rapporteur repeatedly expressed in individual communications and statements that Mr. Assange has been subjected to more than 10 years of arbitrary detention and political persecution. During a visit conducted to Belmarsh Prison in 2019, the rights expert and a specialized medical team found that Mr. Assange showed all the symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture.

06.01.2021 - 08:56 [ Judiciary.uk ]

Between: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -v- JULIAN PAUL ASSANGE

(04.01.2021)

1. This is a request made by the Government of the United States of America (“the US”) for the extradition of Julian Paul Assange. The US is represented by James Lewis QC, Claire Dobbin and Joel Smith. Mr. Assange is represented by Edward Fitzgerald QC, Mark Summers QC, Ben Cooper QC and Florence Iveson.

04.01.2021 - 16:46 [ derStandard.at ]

London: US-Auslieferungsantrag für Julian Assange abgelehnt

Am Handeln des 49-Jährigen übte Baraitser freilich massive Kritik. Die Argumente seiner Verteidigung erkannte sie in großen Teilen nicht an. Weder habe diese belegen können, dass Assange in den USA kein faires Verfahren erwarte, noch, dass der Wikileaks-Gründer Opfer politischer Verfolgung sei,

04.01.2021 - 16:32 [ Charles Ghose / Youtube ]

Stella Morris & WikiLeaks Chief Editor Speak After Assange Blocked Extradition To The U S

Stella Morris and Chief Editor of Wiki Leaks Kristinn Hrafnsson speak, after Julian Assange extradition to the United States is blocked, by U.K District Judge. The Old Bailey.

04.01.2021 - 16:23 [ Washington Post ]

British court rejects U.S. extradition request for WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange, saying he is at risk of suicide

The U.S. government will appeal to the High Court to reverse the judge’s ruling, a process that could take several months — perhaps even longer because of Assange’s poor health and the soaring outbreak of coronavirus in Britain, which has the capital city on near-lockdown.

04.01.2021 - 11:46 [ Murtaza Ali Shah / Twitter ]

Julian Assange’s partner Stella Morris at the central criminal court to hear if the judge will order extradition of @wikileaks founder #JulianAssange

30.09.2020 - 14:07 [ Kevin Gosztola / Twitter ]

Witness #1 and Witness #2 are afraid UC Global director David Morales could retaliate against them as result of giving information. They requested protected status on the basis that their families and themselves were at risk. #AssangeTrial

30.09.2020 - 13:50 [ theGuardian.com ]

Assange case: former security firm staff allowed to give anonymous evidence

Anonymity was granted to two former employees of UC Global after a hearing at the Old Bailey in London was told they feared that its director and owner, David Morales, or others connected to him in the US, could seek to harm them.

Judge Vanessa Baraitser said she would permit their identities to remain anonymous out of respect for a Spanish court that had done the same as part of a case in which they are involved.

30.09.2020 - 13:48 [ Craig Murray ]

Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 20

The day concluded with a foretaste of excitement to come, as Judge Baraitser agreed to grant witness anonymity to the two UC Global whistleblowers who are to give evidence on UC Global’s spying on Assange in the Ecuadorean Embassy. In making application, Summers gave notice that among the topics to be discussed was the instruction from UC Global’s American clients to consider poisoning or kidnapping Assange. The hidden firearm with filed-off serial numbers discovered in the home of UC Global’s chief executive David Morales, and his relationship to the Head of Security at the Las Vegas Sands complex, were also briefly mooted.

24.09.2020 - 19:25 [ Jacob Appelbaum / Heise.de ]

Die Anklageschrift erweckt den Eindruck, dass sich investigativer Journalismus nicht von krimineller Spionage unterscheidet

Diese Anklage ist nichts als ein Lawfare und Teil einer umfassenderen Strategie politischer Angriffe auf WikiLeaks, auf Personen im Umfeld von WikiLeaks und auf den investigativen Journalismus als Ganzes. Die in der Anklageschrift dargelegten Behauptungen sind für die direkt und indirekt Genannten sowie für alle Journalisten weltweit mit Blick auf wesentliche Funktionen der Berichterstattung äußerst gefährlich. Immerhin werden die in der Anklageschrift namentlich genannten und nicht namentlich genannten Personen politischer Verbrechen bezichtigt. Die Anklageschrift erweckt den Eindruck, dass sich effektiver und investigativer Journalismus im öffentlichen Interesse nicht von krimineller Spionage unterscheidet, die von Nationalstaaten für ihre Interessen betrieben wird.

23.09.2020 - 18:11 [ Glenn Greenwald / Twitter ]

Part 2 of Lula‘s video on why the attempted extradition and prosecution of Assange is so dangerous, and why the relative silence of western media outlets — including those that partnered with WikiLeaks to publish these documents — is so shameful:

23.09.2020 - 18:02 [ Nils Melzer / Twitter ]

Having investigated this case in my capacity as the #UN #SRTorture, I am absolutely convinced that, if extradited to the USA, #Assange will be exposed to an unfair trial & conditions of detention amounting to #Torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

23.09.2020 - 17:38 [ Joe Lauria / Consortium News ]

LIVE UPDATES: ASSANGE HEARING DAY TWELVE—Lewis Challenges Diagnosis of Assange’s Autism

Court is in session. Today’s defense witnesses are to be Dr. Quinton Deeley, an honorary consultant psychiatrist in the National Autism Unit, Adult ADHD Service, and Behavioural Genetics and Autism Assessment Clinic & Paul Mullen, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Monash University, Melbourne.

23.09.2020 - 17:27 [ Craig Murray / Consortium News ]

ASSANGE EXTRADITION: Craig Murray: Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing—Day 11

The only possible conclusion from yesterday’s testimony is that the performance of the representative of the United States Government was, in and of itself, full and sufficient evidence that there is no possibility that Julian Assange will receive fair consideration and treatment of his mental health issues within the United States system. The US government has just demonstrated that to us, in open court, to perfection.

23.09.2020 - 12:14 [ Rebecca Vincent / Twitter ]

Kopelman said Assange’s auditory hallucinations tell him things like “you’re worthless”, “you’re nothing”, “you’re dust”, “you’re dead”, and to kill himself.

The prosecution argued these were self-reported. Kopelman pointed out hallucinations are always self-reported. 13/

23.09.2020 - 11:55 [ Heise.de ]

Psychiater: Wikileaks-Gründer Julian Assange ist suizidgefährdet

Nach Aussagen eines Psychiaters ist der im Gefängnis sitzende Wikileaks-Gründer Julian Assange akut suizidgefährdet. Es gebe ein „hohes Risiko“, dass der 49-Jährige sich das Leben nehmen wolle, berichtete der Psychiater Michael Kopelman am Dienstag vor dem Londoner Old Bailey-Gericht, nachdem er Assange etwa 20 Mal in seiner Untersuchungshaft besucht hatte. Der bereits seit mehr als einem Jahr im Hochsicherheitsgefängnis Belmarsh eingesperrte Assange leide seit längerer Zeit an Halluzinationen und höre etwa Stimmen, die sagten „Wir kommen, um dich zu holen“.

23.09.2020 - 11:55 [ Rebecca Vincent / Twitter ]

Prosecutor James Lewis also attempted to discredit UN Special Rapporteur on Torture @NilsMelzer , dismissing his report after visiting Assange at Belmarsh prison as “palpable nonsense”. Melzer’s report detailed the effects of psychological torture on Assange. 19/

17.09.2020 - 19:57 [ Craig Murray / Global Research ]

Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 10

I shall now continue my exposition of the questioning of Eric Lewis. I shall not set out as much of this in full detail as dialogue as I did yesterday, but will do so at key points in the summary.

08.09.2020 - 02:09 [ John Pilger / Global Research ]

The “Stalinist” Trial of Julian Assange

Having reported the long, epic ordeal of Julian Assange, John Pilger gave this address outside the Central Criminal Court in London on September 7 as the WikiLeaks Editor’s extradition hearing entered its final stage.

07.09.2020 - 11:10 [ Wikileaks ]

Julian Assange’s Extradition Hearing

Hearing Resumes: September 2020

September 7, 2020

07.09.2020 - 11:05 [ ORF.at ]

Assange-Prozess: Anhörung zu Auslieferungsantrag

Assange war 2012 aus Angst vor einer Auslieferung an die USA in die ecuadorianische Botschaft in London geflüchtet. Damals lag gegen ihn ein europäischer Haftbefehl wegen Vergewaltigungsvorwürfen in Schweden vor. Die Ermittlungen wurden eingestellt. Die britische Polizei verhaftete Assange im April 2019, da er mit der Flucht in die Botschaft gegen Kautionsauflagen verstoßen hatte. Er wurde zu einem knappen Jahr Haft verurteilt.

07.09.2020 - 10:53 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

‚Julian will be put on a show trial – then they‘ll bury him‘: Mother of Assange‘s two children tearfully warns of the WikiLeaks founder‘s fate as the US begins its Old Bailey extradition bid

The Mail on Sunday revealed in April that Ms Morris, 37, is the mother of two children fathered by Assange while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. She believes he will face a show trial in the US if he is extradited.

‘It is heartbreaking to think that if Julian is extradited and put in a US supermax prison, the boys will never get to know their father and he will never see them grow up,’ she said. ‘It’s not Julian in the prison. It’s the kids that are being deprived of their father. It’s me that’s being deprived.’

07.09.2020 - 10:42 [ the Times ]

Julian Assange’s fiancée, Stella Moris, on their secret family

The WikiLeaks founder secretly fathered two children while holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy. Now he is in prison fighting extradition to the US and the hearing that will decide his fate resumes on Monday. His fiancée tells Kirsty Lang their extraordinary love story

07.09.2020 - 10:35 [ Amnesty International ]

UK: Assange extradition hearing will be a key test for UK and US justice

The fact that Assange was the target of a negative public campaign by US officials at the highest levels undermines his right to be presumed innocent and puts him at risk of an unfair trial.

“The UK must abide by its obligations under international human rights law, which forbid the transfer of individuals to another country where they would face serious human rights violations,” said Nils Muižnieks.

06.09.2020 - 21:19 [ Reporters without Borders - RSF.org ]

#FreeAssange : Sign against Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States !

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is firmly opposed to the possible extradition of Julian Assange to the United States, where he could be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for charges that include publishing and providing journalists with information that served the public interest.

UPDATE: The US extradition hearing against Julian Assange will resume on 7 September at the Central Criminal Court in London. We will be delivering this petition to the UK authorities that morning. Help us reach our goal of 100,000 signatures by signing