Archiv: cases / charges / indictments / trials / sentencings / judgments / rulings


27.03.2023 - 20:52 [ CNN ]

No indictment for Netanyahu

(20. April 1997)

Netanyahu told CNN’s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“

„It’s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It’s done. It’s finished.“

27.03.2023 - 20:29 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Petition for Netanyahu’s removal from office rejected by High Court

(March 27, 2023 15:45)

The court rejected the petition by the Defenders of Israeli Democracy on all grounds, saying that judicial intervention was a last resort after all other avenues had been exhausted.

The petition was viewed as unacceptable in its framing, and the petitioners were ordered to pay NIS 5,000 for expenses to the state treasury.

22.03.2023 - 19:35 [ Politico.com ]

The privacy loophole in your doorbell

(07.03.2023)

Larkin, now incensed that police were requesting footage from inside his home for an investigation that didn’t even involve him, wanted to fight the warrant. He estimated that a lawyer would have been too expensive, and he only had about seven days to challenge it before Ring would comply. He still doesn’t understand how a judge could have signed off on a warrant asking for footage from a camera inside his home, when the investigation was on his neighbor.

“That says to me that the cops can go in and subpoena anybody, no matter how weak their evidence is,” he said.

18.03.2023 - 13:33 [ Haaretz ]

Israel’s High Court Will Strike Down the Coup Legislation, Top Legal Experts Say

The judicial overhaul will destroy democracy, the Knesset isn’t authorized to enact such laws, and their important clauses will be struck down by the High Court: Retired justices, former attorneys general and law professors weigh

12.03.2023 - 19:19 [ theHill.com ]

US calls Iran’s prisoner swap claim a ‘cruel lie’

“Unfortunately, Iranian officials will not hesitate to make things up, and the latest cruel claim will cause more heartache for the families of Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz,” the council said, naming the three Americans known to be held by Tehran on widely disputed espionage charges.

08.03.2023 - 16:04 [ New York Daily News / Nitter ]

„Pentagon Papers“ leaker Daniel Ellsberg, 91, is dying from cancer. Doctors have given him three to six months to live.

(03.03.2023)

08.03.2023 - 16:02 [ Daniel Ellsberg / Nitter ]

To @POTUS and @TheJusticeDept: Stop the extradition of Assange. I am as indictable as he is on the exact same charges. I will plead „not guilty“ on grounds of your blatantly unconstitutional use of the Espionage Act. Let’s take this to the Supreme Court.

(06.12.2022)

26.02.2023 - 20:45 [ Times of Israel ]

Coalition advances bill that would return Deri to cabinet, defying High Court ruling

(22 February 2023)

In addition to his January 2022 conviction for tax fraud, Deri served prison time for a 1999 bribery conviction related to his conduct while a minister. In its explosive January ruling, the High Court of Justice said Netanyahu’s decision to appoint a convicted financial criminal as minister in charge of the large Health Ministry and Interior Ministry budgets was “unreasonable in the extreme.”

26.02.2023 - 20:17 [ Jerusalem Post ]

AG pondering declaring Netanyahu unfit as PM due to conflicts of interest

(Jan 22, 2023)

In 2021, the High Court of Justice ruled that a conflict of interest arrangement formulated under then former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit was binding for Netanyahu.

The arrangement prohibits Netanyahu from being involved in the nomination of judges or of the police commissioner and from being involved in legislation that has an impact on the criminal proceedings against him.

01.02.2023 - 02:55 [ US Supreme Court ]

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS, ET AL., APPLICANTS 21A244 v. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, ET AL

(13.01.2022)

Administrative agencies are creatures of statute. They accordingly possess only the authority that Congress has provided. The Secretary has ordered 84 million Americans to either obtain a COVID–19 vaccine or undergo weekly medical testing at their own expense. This is no “everyday exercise of federal power.” In re MCP No. 165, 20 F. 4th, at 272 (Sutton, C. J., dissenting). It is instead a significant encroachment into the lives—and health—of a vast number of employees. “We expect Congress to speak clearly when authorizing an agency to exercise powers of vast economic and political significance.” Alabama Assn. of Realtors v. Department of Health and Human Servs., 594
U. S. ___, ___ (2021) (per curiam) (slip op., at 6) (internal quotation marks omitted). There can be little doubt that OSHA’s mandate qualifies as an exercise of such authority. The question, then, is whether the Act plainly authorizes the Secretary’s mandate. It does not. The Act empowers the Secretary to set workplace safety standards, not broad public health measures.

(…)

The Solicitor General does not dispute that OSHA is limited to regulating “work-related dangers.” Response Brief for OSHA in No. 21A244 etc., p. 45 (OSHA Response). She instead argues that the risk of contracting COVID–19 qualifies as such a danger. We cannot agree. Although COVID–19 is a risk that occurs in many workplaces, it is not an occupational hazard in most. COVID–19 can and does spread at home, in schools, during sporting events, and everywhere else that people gather. That kind of universal risk is no different from the day-to-day dangers that all face from crime, air pollution, or any number of communicable diseases. Permitting OSHA to regulate the hazards of daily life—simply because most Americans have jobs and face those same risks while on the clock—would significantly expand OSHA’s regulatory authority without clear congressional authorization.

01.02.2023 - 02:44 [ Fox News ]

Supreme Court saves Americans from Biden COVID vaccine mandate—but the fight is not over

(14.01.2022)

As we have stated for months, the federal government doesn’t get to be your nanny, and it shouldn’t get to be your doctor. It has used this COVID-19 emergency to commandeer too many liberties that are solely afforded to sovereign states and free Americans. History has taught us that once a government takes rights from its citizens, they are almost never recovered. States must be vigilant and always ready to challenge a federal government that is growing too fast and too powerful.

01.02.2023 - 02:37 [ Fox News ]

Biden tells Congress he’ll end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11

The COVID-19 national emergency is set to expire on March 1, while the public health emergency (PHE) will expire on April 11. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) wrote in a Statement of Administration Policy that Biden will extend both emergencies to May 11, at which point they will expire. 

28.01.2023 - 12:53 [ New York Times ]

Five Officers Charged With Murder in Memphis Police Killing

(Updated Jan. 27, 2023)

A grand jury returned indictments on Thursday against the five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — with charges that include kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression, in addition to second-degree murder, prosecutors said. The officers, all of whom are Black, were fired last week.

22.01.2023 - 14:19 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Fires Loyalist Dery in Cabinet Meeting Following High Court Ruling

The High Court’s bombshell decision on Wednesday barred the Shas party chair from serving in the cabinet following his criminal conviction on tax evasion charges last year and subsequent suspended sentence.

In a letter read by Netanyahu at the cabinet meeting, he expressed regret over the decision and described Dery as an „anchor of experience, intelligence and responsibility.“

19.12.2022 - 18:31 [ Daniel Ellsberg / Nitter ]

To @POTUS and @TheJusticeDept: Stop the extradition of Assange. I am as indictable as he is on the exact same charges. I will plead „not guilty“ on grounds of your blatantly unconstitutional use of the Espionage Act. Let’s take this to the Supreme Court.

(06.12.2022)

18.12.2022 - 05:35 [ Defend Assange Campaign / Nitter ]

Pentagon Papers‘ Daniel Ellsberg: „Stop the extradition of Assange. I am as indictable as he is on the exact same charges. I will plead „not guilty“ on grounds of your blatantly unconstitutional use of the Espionage Act. Let’s take this to the Supreme Court“ #FreeAssangeNOW

18.12.2022 - 05:16 [ theRegister.com ]

Twitter staffer turned Saudi spy jailed for 3.5 years

At the time, Abouammo was facing up to 20 years behind bars for, while working for Twitter in the US, leaking to Saudi Arabia sensitive information about 6,000 Twitter accounts that could be used to identify and locate users who were of interest to the Saudi royals.

13.12.2022 - 18:59 [ theGuardian.com ]

Biden faces growing pressure to drop charges against Julian Assange

The charges against Assange for obtaining and publishing classified information, without any active role in actually stealing it mark “the crossing of a legal rubicon”, said Jaffer at Columbia University. That’s an ominous legal threshold, he said, for Assange and all journalists.

It’s the first time the US government has used the Espionage Act to go after a publisher and the implications are huge,” Jaffer said. Assange “has been indicted for activity that reporters are engaged in every day and that reporters have to engage in every day to inform the public. This would have dramatic implications for national security journalism.”

13.12.2022 - 18:54 [ Daniel Ellsberg / Nitter ]

To @POTUS and @TheJusticeDept: Stop the extradition of Assange. I am as indictable as he is on the exact same charges. I will plead „not guilty“ on grounds of your blatantly unconstitutional use of the Espionage Act. Let’s take this to the Supreme Court.

(06.12.2022)

09.12.2022 - 06:18 [ Economist.com ]

How one journalist exposed the Wirecard scandal

(Jun 16th 2022)

The battle to expose the truth had to be waged on several fronts. Wirecard fought back viciously and dirtily. Computers were hacked, offices suspected of being bugged, false stories put about. At one point, according to an ex-policeman the author interviewed, Wirecard had more than 30 private detectives “running round London” and trying to dig up dirt on Mr McCrum, ftcolleagues and the short-sellers. This induced paranoia: Mr McCrum took to keeping his notebooks in a safe with six-inch steel walls, and jumping off Tube trains just as the doors were closing, in case he was being tailed.

08.12.2022 - 23:31 [ Yahoo.com ]

UPDATE 4-Wirecard bosses‘ fraud trial begins after scandal that rocked Germany

Founded in 1999 and based in the Munich suburb of Aschheim, Wirecard’s fairy-tale rise transformed it from a payment processor for pornography and online gambling to a showpiece for a new type of German tech company that could compete with the established titans of Europe’s largest economy. (…)

Its demise embarrassed the German establishment, placing politicians who backed the company and regulators who took years to investigate it under scrutiny.

08.12.2022 - 20:35 [ Reuters ]

Judge dismisses Khashoggi lawsuit against Saudi prince; Biden granted him immunity

(December 6, 2022)

A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the fiance of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi against Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, citing President Biden’s grant of immunity.

U.S. District Judge John Bates suggested he was reluctant to throw out the lawsuit but had no choice given the Biden administration’s decision.

06.12.2022 - 03:35 [ WikiLeaks / Nitter ]

New: The Pentagon Papers‘ Daniel Ellsberg reveals he received a „backup“ of the „Chelsea Manning information“ prior to publication: „I am as indictable as Julian Assange.. I’d be happy to take that one to the Supreme Court“ [18:00]

19.09.2022 - 15:33 [ US Supreme Court ]

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS, ET AL., APPLICANTS 21A244 v. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, ET AL

(13.01.2022)

Administrative agencies are creatures of statute. They accordingly possess only the authority that Congress has provided. The Secretary has ordered 84 million Americans to either obtain a COVID–19 vaccine or undergo weekly medical testing at their own expense. This is no “everyday exercise of federal power.” In re MCP No. 165, 20 F. 4th, at 272 (Sutton, C. J., dissenting). It is instead a significant encroachment into the lives—and health—of a vast number of employees. “We expect Congress to speak clearly when authorizing an agency to exercise powers of vast economic and political significance.” Alabama Assn. of Realtors v. Department of Health and Human Servs., 594
U. S. ___, ___ (2021) (per curiam) (slip op., at 6) (internal
quotation marks omitted). There can be little doubt that
OSHA’s mandate qualifies as an exercise of such authority.
The question, then, is whether the Act plainly authorizes
the Secretary’s mandate. It does not. The Act empowers
the Secretary to set workplace safety standards, not broad public health measures.

(…)

The Solicitor General does not dispute that OSHA is lim-
ited to regulating “work-related dangers.” Response Brief
for OSHA in No. 21A244 etc., p. 45 (OSHA Response). She
instead argues that the risk of contracting COVID–19 qual-
ifies as such a danger. We cannot agree. Although COVID–
19 is a risk that occurs in many workplaces, it is not an occupational hazard in most. COVID–19 can and does spread at home, in schools, during sporting events, and everywhere else that people gather. That kind of universal risk is no different from the day-to-day dangers that all face from
crime, air pollution, or any number of communicable diseases. Permitting OSHA to regulate the hazards of daily life—simply because most Americans have jobs and face those same risks while on the clock—would significantly expand OSHA’s regulatory authority without clear congressional authorization.

19.09.2022 - 15:21 [ theGuardian.com ]

US supreme court blocks Biden’s workplace vaccine-or-test rules

(13.01.2022)

The court’s conservative majority concluded the administration overstepped its authority by seeking to impose the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (Osha) vaccine-or-test rule on US businesses with at least 100 employees. More than 80 million people would have been affected.

“Osha has never before imposed such a mandate. Nor has Congress. Indeed, although Congress has enacted significant legislation addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, it has declined to enact any measure similar to what Osha has promulgated here,” the conservatives wrote in an unsigned opinion.

In dissent, the court’s three liberals argued that it was the court that was overreaching by substituting its judgment for that of health experts.

19.09.2022 - 13:45 [ CBS News ]

President Joe Biden: The 2022 60 Minutes Interview

Scott Pelley: Mr. President, first Detroit Auto Show in three years. Is the pandemic over?

President Joe Biden: The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lotta work on it. It’s– but the pandemic is over. if you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it.

The car show was a reminder that gasoline prices hit a historic high last June—in part because Russia cut fuel supplies in its war on Ukraine.

19.09.2022 - 13:42 [ CNN ]

Biden: ‘The pandemic is over’

“The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. It’s – but the pandemic is over,” Biden said.

The US government still designates Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency and the World Health Organization says it remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. But the President’s comments follow other hopeful comments from global health leaders.

10.08.2022 - 08:14 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Olaf Scholz embroiled in bank’s alleged tax fraud as prosecutors search his emails

Olaf Scholz’s emails have been searched by prosecutors as part of a corruption investigation into a Hamburg bank’s avoidance of a €50 million (£42 million) tax bill. (…)

According to leaked details, investigators probing the case found over €200,000 (£170,000) in cash during a search of the premises of Johannes Kahrs, a colleague of Mr Scholz’s in the Hamburg SPD.

27.07.2022 - 17:31 [ Computerweekly.com ]

Home Office ‘unlawfully’ approved MI5 bulk surveillance warrants

The Security Service has admitted during the course of legal hearings that it stored the public’s data when it had no legal right to do so, and that it failed to disclose the problems either to the Home Office or to oversight bodies.

According to submissions presented to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, MI5 broke key legal safeguards by unlawfully retaining and using individual’s private data gathered through covert surveillance.

01.07.2022 - 05:31 [ FoxBusiness.com ]

Supreme Court deals Biden climate agenda serious blow with EPA decision

The 6-3 decision limits how far the executive branch can go in forcing new environmental regulations on its own.

„Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible ‘solution to the crisis of the day,’ But it is not plausible that Congress gave EPA the authority to adopt on its own such a regulatory scheme in Section 111(d),“ Chief Justice John Roberts said in the Court’s opinion, referencing Section 111 of the Clean Air Act.

01.07.2022 - 05:29 [ Reuters ]

U.S. Supreme Court limits federal power to curb carbon emissions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday imposed limits on the federal government’s authority to issue sweeping regulations to reduce carbon emissions from power plants in a ruling that undermines President Joe Biden’s plans to tackle climate change and could constrain various agencies on other issues.

24.06.2022 - 20:56 [ The New York Times / Nitter,net ]

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and give individual states the choice of banning or allowing abortions will immediately affect 13 states that have trigger laws.

24.06.2022 - 20:46 [ theHill.com ]

Emotion pours out on both sides outside Supreme Court

“Forced motherhood,” the leader called.

“Illegitimate,” protesters responded.

“This decision!”

“Illegitimate!”

A few yards away, a dozen anti-abortion demonstrators wearing red pieces of tape that said “Life” gathered in a prayer circle.

“We stand upon the shoulders of those who have gone before us,” said a man leading the prayer, choking up with emotion. “We honor them today, in agreement with the declaration: All the dreams are true.”

13.06.2022 - 22:59 [ i24news.tv ]

Netanyahu testifies in Olmert defamation case

Netanyahu rejected Olmert’s allegations that his family had a history of mental illnesses, according to The Jerusalem Post.

„I have no psychiatric history,“ he told Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court Deputy President Amit Yarivin.

The defamation trial of Netanyahu and his family against Olmert started earlier in January with the Opposition Leader demanding Olmert pay nearly $261,000 of alleged damages for statements against Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara and their son Yair’s mental health in two April 2021 interviews.

12.06.2022 - 06:42 [ BusinessInsider.com ]

Mike Pompeo summoned by court to explain alleged US government plot to assassinate Julian Assange, say Spanish media reports

Spanish National High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz summoned Pompeo and former US counterintelligence official William Evanina as witnesses to explain the alleged assassination plot and whether they received information through the security firm.

Evanina allegedly previously confessed to having access to security camera footage and audio recordings from inside the Ecuadorian Embassy, Assange’s lawyers claimed in letters seen by Spanish outlet The Objective.

12.06.2022 - 05:33 [ Jen Robinson / Nitter.net ]

In 2016, I took legal action against the UK with @privacyint over surveillance & information sharing with the US – given my work as lawyer for #Assange & @wikileaks UK admits violation of Art 8 & Art 10 (confidential journalistic material)

(09.06.2022)

Robinson v UK

12.06.2022 - 05:29 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Julian Assange’s Australian lawyer who counts Amal Clooney and Amber Heard as friends says she has reached settlement with government ‚over breach of her human rights after it admitted she was likely put under covert surveillance‘

She said: ‚The UK Government has now admitted that its surveillance and information-sharing arrangements with the US violated my rights. That includes in relation to the protection of confidential journalistic material.

‚This follows a pattern of unlawful spying on Julian Assange and his legal team, and it raises grave concerns about government interference with journalistic material and privilege.

‚It also raises serious questions about what information the UK and US governments have been sharing about Mr Assange’s case against extradition to the US.‘

12.06.2022 - 05:26 [ WikiLeaks / Nitter.net ]

UK admits to unlawfully spying on Julian Assange’s lawyer in settlement on Thursday at the European Court of Human Rights

05.06.2022 - 19:07 [ theHindu.com ]

Israeli private detective used Indian hackers in job for Russian oligarchs

(May 30, 2022)

Azari is currently being held in federal prison in Brooklyn awaiting sentencing in relation to a hacking campaign tied to the defunct German financial technology company Wirecard AG , his lawyer said last month.

Reuters reported last year that Azari was accused of hiring the Indian hacking firm BellTroX on behalf of powerful clients. BellTroX, which has also been accused of hacking by cybersecurity researchers at Facebook and elsewhere, could not be reached for comment.

04.06.2022 - 13:51 [ PBS.org ]

Clinton campaign lawyer found not guilty of lying to the FBI

(May 31, 2022)

Durham has remained at work into the Biden administration. He has brought three cases so far, though the one against Sussmann is the only to have reached trial. A former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, was given probation after pleading guilty in 2020 to altering an email related to the surveillance of an ex-Trump campaign aide, and a Russian analyst who contributed to a dossier of Democratic-funded research into ties between Russia and Trump awaits trial on charges of lying to the FBI about his sources of information.

04.06.2022 - 13:42 [ ]

Hillary Clinton personally approved plan to share Trump-Russia allegation with the press in 2016, campaign manager says

(Fri May 20, 2022)

Robby Mook said he attended a meeting with other senior campaign officials where they learned about strange cyberactivity that suggested a relationship between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, which is based in Moscow. The group decided to share the information with a reporter, and Mook subsequently ran that decision by Clinton herself.

„We discussed it with Hillary,“ Mook said, later adding that „she agreed with the decision.“

08.05.2022 - 15:31 [ Techdirt ]

Why Did The Secret Service Take Over Aaron Swartz’s Case Two Days Before He Was Arrested

(14.01.2013)

The same filing shows that MIT allowed all of this to happen despite no warrant, court order, or subpoena — just handing over all sorts of info.

19.04.2022 - 14:20 [ Real Maverick ]

According to MSM report yesterday, #German intel agency BND knew about #Wirecard former COO Marsalek’s whereabouts in Moscow, they were contacted by #Russia FSB which proposed interrogation. Request was turned down, German chancellery was informed 2021.

(12.04.2022)

14.04.2022 - 06:03 [ theHill.com ]

Will vaccine passports be biggest campaign issue of 2022?

(April 2, 2021)

A growing number of the Republican Party’s most conservative members have seized on the passport proposals and expected guidance from the White House, blasting them as an example of government overreach that would isolate Americans who choose not to get vaccinated and violate the privacy of those who do.

12.04.2022 - 17:18 [ CNN ]

No indictment for Netanyahu

(20. April 1997)

Netanyahu told CNN’s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“

„It’s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It’s done. It’s finished.“

17.02.2022 - 17:51 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

‚These are serious ethical issues‘: James O’Keefe demands answers after FDA executive officer is caught on Project Veritas hidden camera admitting Biden will force an ANNUAL Covid shot that would be a ‚recurring fountain of revenue‘ for drug firms

– FDA executive Christopher Cole was secretly recorded by a Project Veritas undercover employee posing as his date during a series of dinner meetings
– He was caught on camera dishing out his thoughts about vaccine mandates, saying he believed they would be become annual requirements
– He also suggested that the Biden administration had financial incentives for pushing the vaccine, saying they’re a ‚recurring‘ source of income
– During a follow-up Project Veritas interview, Cole said he’d been tricked during a ‚hack job‘ investigation and that his comments were taken out of context
– He said his office was not involved in the approval of vaccines
– Project Veritas Founder James O’Keefe is now demanding the FDA answer to the allegations that its officials are motivated by the ‚fountain of revenue‘ it receives from pharmaceutical companies
– O’Keefe told Sean Hannity Wednesday night: ‚There are serious ethical issues‘

11.02.2022 - 03:49 [ GlobalNews.ca ]

Ontario freezes funds from GiveSendGo trucker convoy fundraiser

Ivana Yelich said the order binding “any and all parties with possession or control over these donations” was issued Thursday afternoon. She cited a section of the Criminal Code that allows the attorney general to apply for a restraint order against any “offence-related property.”

11.02.2022 - 01:48 [ CNN ]

Appeals court refuses to reinstate federal employee vaccine mandate while it reviews case

(February 09, 2022)

A federal appeals court said Wednesday it would not reinstate President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees while it reviews a lower court’s order putting the requirement on hold — potentially setting the stage for the case to go to the Supreme Court.

11.02.2022 - 01:38 [ Wall Street Journal ]

Judges Weigh More Biden Vaccine-Mandate Cases After Supreme Court Rulings

(Feb. 6, 2022)

Several lower courts considering challenges to the administration’s other Covid-19 vaccine requirements.

25.01.2022 - 23:40 [ New York Times ]

A New York judge rules that the state’s mask mandate is unconstitutional and can’t be enforced.

Gov. Kathy Hochul had renewed a rule requiring masks or proof of vaccination at all indoor public places throughout the state in December, amid a winter virus surge, and said it would last a month. The state Health Department then extended the mandate an additional two weeks, to expire on Feb. 1.

In his six-page decision, State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker wrote that Ms. Hochul and state health officials lacked the authority to enact the mask mandate without the approval of state lawmakers, and that it violated the state constitution. Regardless of the “well aimed” intentions of state officials, such authority is “entrusted solely to the State Legislature,” Justice Rademaker wrote.

25.01.2022 - 23:40 [ Newsmax / Twitter ]

NEW: A New York state Supreme Court judge has ruled that Governor Kathy Hochul’s statewide indoor mask mandate is unconstitutional.

24.01.2022 - 14:59 [ Times of Israel ]

Olmert asks court to order psychiatric evaluations for Netanyahu, wife and son

(23.01.2021)

Olmert’s lawyer Amir Titonovich told the Haaretz newspaper that they believe that the Netanyahu family has records showing that they are not mentally sound.

The request needs to be approved by the court, but it is thought unlikely that it will do so.

Earlier this month, Olmert rejected out of hand the idea that he could apologize to the Netanyahus, arguing that he was expressing a widely held opinion.

24.01.2022 - 14:40 [ Haaretz ]

Olmert: I Called the Netanyahus Mentally Ill After Consulting With Experts

(Jan. 10, 2022)

At the start of the hearing, Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court Judge Amit Yariv asked Olmert what he based his claim on when he said “what can’t be fixed is the mental illness of the prime minister and his wife and son. That’s not fixable.”

Olmert responded that “I followed their actions, I listened to recordings of the family members, I consulted with experts and with people close to them who know them well. They described to me behavior that … is known as abnormal behavior, crazy behavior.”

24.01.2022 - 13:48 [ Independent.co.uk ]

Julian Assange can appeal to Supreme Court over US extradition, High Court rules

If today’s ruling went against Assange, he would not be able to appeal to the Supreme Court, and the extradition request would be sent to home secretary Priti Patel for approval.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde, said Assange could go to the Supreme Court itself and ask to bring the appeal.

14.01.2022 - 22:20 [ Justin Amash / Twitter ]

The Supreme Court blocked President Biden‘s OSHA mandate, which was blatantly and egregiously unconstitutional. The principle is simple: The president is not a king with the power to do whatever he wants regardless of the law and the facts.

14.01.2022 - 22:01 [ Fox News ]

MSNBC’s Joy Reid rants against Supreme Court for striking down Biden vaccine mandate: ‚Right-wing ideologues‘

MSNBC host Joy Reid was infuriated Thursday over the Supreme Court’s decision to block President Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, launching a rant against what she called „right-wing ideologues“ occupying six of the court’s nine seats.

During a segment of her show „The ReidOut,“ Reid declared she no longer had faith in the court, calling it a „Christian nationalist version“ of what it used to be, and suggested the justices should each have their own „right-wing talk radio shows.“

14.01.2022 - 21:41 [ Washington Post ]

The frightening philosophy driving the Supreme Court’s new vaccine mandate rulings

At current pace, sometime in late April we will pass a grim milestone: 1 million Americans dead from covid-19. If we get lucky and the omicron wave abates, that millionth death may not come until later in the spring, or the summer. But it will come, and soon.

Keep that in mind as you consider the latest news from the Supreme Court. On Thursday, by a 6-to-3 vote along party lines (and no, I won’t pretend the justices have no relevant party affiliations), they struck down the Biden administration’s mandate that large employers were supposed to require that their employees either be vaccinated or receive regular tests for covid-19.

14.01.2022 - 21:34 [ New York Times ]

Blocking a Mandate, the Supreme Court ‘Sided With Covid-19’

To be clear, the legal resistance on display at the Supreme Court is not about vaccine efficacy or the idiosyncratic nuances of administrative law. It is to support Republican efforts everywhere to damage President Biden politically at the cost of suffering and death for millions of Americans.

Shame, shame on the Supreme Court.

14.01.2022 - 21:13 [ Fox News ]

Supreme Court saves Americans from Biden COVID vaccine mandate—but the fight is not over

As we have stated for months, the federal government doesn’t get to be your nanny, and it shouldn’t get to be your doctor. It has used this COVID-19 emergency to commandeer too many liberties that are solely afforded to sovereign states and free Americans. History has taught us that once a government takes rights from its citizens, they are almost never recovered. States must be vigilant and always ready to challenge a federal government that is growing too fast and too powerful.

14.01.2022 - 12:05 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

England ‚WILL scrap Covid passes and WFH at the end of the month’ because they are ‚hard to justify‘ now that Omicron is subsiding — with masks on trains and in shops the only curb left

Currently, people in England need to show proof of vaccination or a negative lateral flow to enter large events and nightclubs.

A Whitehall source told the newspaper: ‚There was always a very high threshold for the policy and it looks increasingly likely in a couple of weeks that threshold won’t be met. The way cases are going it will be hard to justify renewing.‘

14.01.2022 - 11:47 [ Kevin McCarthy - RepublicanLeader.gov ]

House GOP Leaders: No More Authoritarian Mandates

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Biden administration’s unlawful vaccine mandate:

“President Biden’s vaccine mandates are unlawful and not based on science. They deny workers their livelihood, divide our society, and diminish liberty. They are bad policies that undermine public confidence in the vaccines and compound the President’s failure to fulfill his promise to ‘crush the virus.’

14.01.2022 - 11:34 [ Senator Mike Braun / Twitter ]

BIG VICTORY FOR AMERICA AT THE SUPREME COURT

Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate for private employees has been struck down, with help from our objection in the Senate which was referenced in the majority opinion.

14.01.2022 - 10:12 [ The Associated Press / Twitter ]

BREAKING: Supreme Court blocks the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test rule for U.S. businesses, but allows a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for most health care workers.

14.01.2022 - 10:10 [ Fox News ]

Supreme Court puts an end to pandemic of the autocrat

The American work force is now safe from the unnecessary threat of its government

12.01.2022 - 14:23 [ DailyFly.com ]

CDC Director: 75% of COVID Deaths Among Vaccinated had Four Comorbidities

Ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on vaccine mandates expected as early as this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is under increased scrutiny after recent comments about COVID-19 deaths.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky fell into controversy after a clip of her appearance on Good Morning America Friday went viral.

09.01.2022 - 12:00 [ New York Times ]

Supreme Court’s Conservative Majority Appears Skeptical of Biden’s Virus Plan

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed to be leaning on Friday toward blocking one of the White House’s main pandemic-fighting strategies, expressing skepticism that the Biden administration has the legal power to mandate that large employers require workers to be vaccinated or to undergo frequent testing.

06.01.2022 - 09:58 [ NPR.org ]

The Supreme Court to hold a hearing on Biden’s vaccine and testing mandate

NPR’s Rachel Martin talks to Karen Harned of the National Federation of Independent Business, about its opposition to OSHA’s vaccine and testing requirements for private employers.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hold a hearing on the Biden administration’s vaccine and testing mandate.

05.01.2022 - 10:59 [ Washington Post ]

Judge grants relief to Navy SEALs who refused coronavirus vaccine, sued Biden administration

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on Monday blocking the Defense Department from taking action against a group of 35 Navy sailors who had refused to get a coronavirus vaccine, raising questions on how it might shape the Pentagon’s requirement that all U.S. troops get vaccinated.

03.01.2022 - 09:36 [ .healthcarefinancenews.com ]

Supreme Court to hear arguments over vaccine mandates on January 7

(23.12.2021)

About half the states in the United States, 24, have filed lawsuits against the federal vaccine mandates.

01.01.2022 - 15:01 [ NBC News ]

Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts stresses need for judicial independence

The current court term is loaded with highly charged cases, including a direct assault on Roe v. Wade and challenges to the Biden administration’s efforts to impose vaccine or mask-wearing and testing requirements for large employers and health care workers to control the spread of Covid. The court will hear the pandemic-related cases in a special session January 7.

Roberts did not mention any of those factors. But he said the judiciary’s power to manage its own internal affairs „insulates courts from inappropriate political influence and is crucial to preserving public trust in its work as a separate and co-equal branch of government.“

24.12.2021 - 04:47 [ New York Times ]

Supreme Court to Hold Special Hearing on Biden Vaccine Mandates

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said on Wednesday evening that it would hold a special hearing next month to assess the legality of two initiatives at the heart of the Biden administration’s efforts to address the coronavirus in the workplace.

14.12.2021 - 23:00 [ Forbes.com ]

Appeals Court Refuses To Put Biden’s Vaccine Mandate For Healthcare Workers Back Into Effect

A federal appeals court upheld Monday a district court order that blocked the White House’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers—which paused the order in only 10 states and not nationwide—the latest in a string of recent setbacks President Joe Biden’s vaccine orders have faced in court.

14.12.2021 - 22:56 [ .marketwatch.com ]

Most employers say they won’t require vaccines if courts block Biden’s mandate

President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees is in limbo since a federal appeals court halted it last month.

10.12.2021 - 15:52 [ Mirror.co.uk ]

Julian Assange faces extradition after US government wins High Court case

The High Court was previously told that blocking Assange’s removal due to his mental health risks „rewarding fugitives for their flight“.

James Lewis QC, for the US, said the district judge based her decision on Assange’s „intellectual ability to circumvent suicide preventative measures“, which risked becoming a „trump card“ for anyone who wanted to oppose their extradition regardless of any resources the other state might have.

08.12.2021 - 19:03 [ Newsweek ]

NYC Vaccine Mandate Blocked by Judge in Blow to Bill de Blasio

Patricia Finn, an attorney who describes herself on Twitter as „The Good Health Lawyer New Yotk (sic),“ launched the legal challenge against the mayor’s mandate. She regularly espouses anti-vaccination views on her social media accounts.

In one Facebook post, Finn wrote: „Please DO NOT support lockdowns for the unvaccinated. It garners support for lockdowns and punishment for whoever these bureaucrats deem ‚dangerous‘.“

07.12.2021 - 07:25 [ Associated Press / 8newsnow.com ]

Vaccine mandates on hold: Courts put a stop to sweeping requirements — for now

Millions of health care workers across the U.S. were supposed to have their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by this coming Monday under a mandate issued by President Joe Biden’s administration. Thanks to legal challenges, they won’t have to worry about it, at least for now.

Same goes for a Jan. 4 deadline set by the administration for businesses with at least 100 employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus.

01.12.2021 - 13:26 [ NationalReview.com ]

Joe Biden’s Mandates Aren’t Doing So Well in Court

Yesterday and today, federal judges in Louisiana and Missouri entered injunctions against vaccine mandates for the staff of 21 types of Medicare and Medicaid health-care providers, enacted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and planned to go into effect next Monday. Monday’s ruling was by Judge Matthew Schlep of the Eastern District of Missouri (a Trump appointee), and applies to ten states (Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming), all of which were plaintiffs in the case.

19.11.2021 - 06:56 [ CNBC ]

Biden administration suspends enforcement of business vaccine mandate to comply with court order

The White House previously told businesses to proceed with the implementation of the requirements.

16.11.2021 - 10:58 [ CNN ]

No indictment for Netanyahu

(20. April 1997)

Netanyahu told CNN’s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“

„It’s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It’s done. It’s finished.“

10.11.2021 - 06:53 [ BGR.com ]

Biden official tells businesses to ignore court order on vaccine mandate

Former FDA commissioner and Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb shared some thoughts via his Twitter account over the weekend about a federal court temporarily pausing the implementation of the Biden vaccine mandate.

09.11.2021 - 17:03 [ New York Times ]

U.S. Urges Court Not to Block Vaccine Mandate on Employers

The Fifth Circuit panel will now decide whether to lift its decision to block the mandate or make it permanent. But it is unlikely to have the final word.

Some other legal challengers to the mandate are in different appeals court circuits, and the many pending challenges are expected to be consolidated before a randomly assigned appeals court later this month. The issue is very likely to end up before the Supreme Court.

09.11.2021 - 16:57 [ NPR.org ]

Blocked for now, Biden’s vaccine-or-test rule for workers faces uncertain future

It took just a day-and-a-half for President Biden’s vaccine-or-test rule covering 84 million workers to be blocked by a federal appeals court.

Now, the Biden administration is gearing up for a fight

07.11.2021 - 09:32 [ Attorney General Ken Paxton / Twitter ]

Yesterday, I sued the Biden Admin over its unlawful OSHA vax mandate. WE WON. Just this morning, citing “grave statutory and constitutional issues,” the 5th Circuit stayed the mandate. The fight is not over and I will never stop resisting this Admin’s unconstitutional overreach!

07.11.2021 - 09:24 [ FoxBusiness.com ]

Federal court of appeals issues temporary halt to Biden vaccine mandate

A federal court issued Texas a temporary victory in its lawsuit against the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate issuing a stay on the controversial federal government regulation in Texas.

28.10.2021 - 16:55 [ Kevin Gosztola / Twitter ]

Mark Summers is up now for the defense. He says the „assurances“ offered are an „impermissible attempt to recast the case. It’s too late.“ #Assange

28.10.2021 - 16:35 [ Afshin Rattansi / Twitter ]

FOR Real-Time Assange Court reporting, follow: @kgosztola @SMaurizi @MElmaazi @richimedhurst @rebecca_vincent @jlpassarelli @StellaMoris1 (Ex-UK Ambassador Craig Murray will not be because he has been jailed for court reporting)

28.10.2021 - 16:33 [ Juan Passarelli / Twitter ]

[THREAD] I start my report on the second day of the #JulianAssange extradition hearing with this reminder: The court will have to decide whether to send #Assange to the country that plotted to murder him, or whether to protect his life.

27.10.2021 - 15:11 [ Jill Lawless / associated press / ABC News ]

US asks UK court to permit extradition of WikiLeaks‘ Assange

The United States asked Britain’s High Court on Wednesday to overturn a judge’s decision that Julian Assange should not be sent to the United States to face espionage charges, promising that the WikiLeaks founder would be able to serve any prison sentence he receives in his native Australia.

27.10.2021 - 14:01 [ Independent.co.uk ]

Julian Assange: Family and supporters gather at High Court for extradition appeal hearing

His partner Stella Moris and father John Shipton were among those arriving at the court.

Ms Moris told reporters: “I’m very concerned for Julian’s health, I saw him on Saturday, he’s very thin.

“I hope the courts will end this nightmare, that Julian is able to come home soon and that wise heads prevail.

27.10.2021 - 13:56 [ Reporters without Borders ]

UK High Court set to hear US appeal in the Assange extradition case

From 27 to 28 October, the UK High Court will consider the US government’s appeal against the court decision opposing the extradition of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange. Despite continued barriers to access, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will again be attempting to monitor the proceedings, and calls again for the case to be closed and Assange to be immediately released.

01.10.2021 - 01:33 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Met Police investigate whether Wayne Couzens struck BEFORE: Detectives reveal ‚on-going‘ probe into killer cop and urge women to come forward – as criminologists say his ‚experienced behaviour‘ hints that Sarah Everard may not have been his first victim

– Wayne Couzens, 48, showed so much experience in his awful crimes experts say he must have acted before
– The rapist officer learned today he will die in jail serving a whole life sentence for killing Sarah Everard

17.09.2021 - 13:25 [ Politico.eu ]

German Facebook ruling boosts EU push for stricter content moderation

(July 29, 2021)

In its ruling, the Karlsruhe-based court said that while Facebook had the right to decide what stays on or off the platform, it needs to be more forthcoming with users on how it does so. The court found that the social media company did not inform two users that it had removed their posts. It added that the company should have also informed and given users an opportunity to respond before suspending them from its platform.

The decision sets a major precedent for how social media companies police content on their platforms, likely giving a boost to EU lawmakers in Brussels, who are pushing to add further obligations on social media companies.

28.07.2021 - 11:28 [ Wikileaks / Twitter ]

Report: Whistleblower Daniel Hale, responsible for revealing massive civilian cost of US Drone Program, receives 45 month sentence „It was necessary to dispel the lie that drone warfare keeps us safe, that our lives are worth more than theirs“ #DanielHale

28.07.2021 - 11:23 [ CourageFound.org ]

Daniel Hale sentenced to 45 months in prison

Before he was sentenced, Hale read a powerful and intensely emotional speech to the court, condemning the horrors of war, particularly the post-9/11 U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and drew attention to Iraqi and Afghan victims of the U.S. drone assassination program. He said he opposes war for the same reasons he opposes the death penalty, saying it’s wrong to kill and especially wrong to kill the defenseless. The U.S. often posthumously labels those it kills as “combatants,” and Hale said that sometimes up to 90% of victims in a given airstrike are unidentifiable.

23.07.2021 - 06:41 [ Haaretz ]

‘The State’s Right’: Top Court Refuses to Rule on Israeli Sale of Spy Tech to Russia

(26.06.2021)

Israel’s defense exports, including the sale of offensive cyber technologies to foreign countries, and the policy that governs them is beyond the jurisdiction of Israeli courts, the Supreme Court ruled Sunday. The court’s justices refused to hear a petition filed by human right activists against the director of Israel’s Defense Ministry and Cellebrite, the digital forensics company, for the sale of phone-hacking tech to Russia.

16.07.2021 - 06:10 [ aco Barnard-Naudé / DailyMaverick.co.za ]

Anarchy in the RSA: A spirit of revolt without revolution

Slavoj Žižek proposed in an article on the London riots in 2011 that such riots are not easily understandable in Marxist terms, precisely because they do not carry the signs of the emergence of a revolutionary subject. Instead, he proposes that they fit much better the Hegelian notion of “abstract negativity”, of “those outside organised social space, who can express their discontent only through ‘irrational’ outbursts of destructive violence”. Žižek believes that these forms of riot confirm the rather mundane, now commonplace assertion that we live in a post-ideological era, an era in which nothing is demanded any more, a time of “zero-degree violence”.

“Opposition to the system can no longer articulate itself in the form of a realistic alternative, or even as a utopian project,” Žižek writes, “but can only take the shape of a meaningless outburst.”

16.07.2021 - 05:49 [ Jani Allan / RT.com ]

The row raging over a corrupt former president’s jailing shows that South Africa is heading down a sad and familiar path

South Africa’s highest court last week ordered the imprisonment of the country’s former president Jacob Zuma for 15 months for contempt of court. The decision stems from Zuma’s refusal to appear at a commission to answer questions about his alleged involvement in corruption during his time as president between 2009 and 2018.

On Saturday, however, the constitutional court agreed to hear Zuma’s urgent appeal on July 12 to rescind its order to sentence him to jail. If the court is gelded, the human rights so dearly won defeating apartheid will be lost.

08.07.2021 - 16:59 [ theDissenter.org ]

Assange Extradition: British High Court Grants US A Limited Appeal

According to Stella Moris, who is Assange’s partner, the High Court rejected the efforts of the U.S. government to “second guess the magistrates’ conclusions on medical and expert evidence.” It allowed the U.S. to challenge the court’s findings on prison conditions.

No date was immediately set for a hearing on the appeal, and it was unclear whether the High Court had considered the request by Assange’s legal team for a cross-appeal.

The Dissenter reviewed the appeal submissions, which are not publicly available.

07.07.2021 - 07:01 [ DutchNews.nl ]

Three arrested after tv crime journalist Peter R de Vries is shot

He is currently spokesman for a key witness in a major gangland killing trial and had been threatened. According to some reports, he had refused to have personal security.

01.07.2021 - 14:28 [ theGrayzone.com ]

Judge tosses frivolous lawsuit by heiress Sulome Anderson seeking to destroy The Grayzone

The District of Columbia Superior Court has rejected a frivolous, million-dollar lawsuit claiming libel, defamation, and tortious conspiracy filed by writer Sulome Anderson against The Grayzone’s editor Max Blumenthal and assistant editor Ben Norton.

Judge William M. Jackson’s June 16, 2021 decision put an end to the entitled heiress’ three-year-long campaign to smear and bankrupt The Grayzone with the help of a powerful DC lawyer closely linked to the Israel lobby.

01.07.2021 - 11:03 [ Haaretz ]

Israeli Charged in Global Hacker-for-hire Scheme Seeks Plea Deal

While the indictment does not identify the hackers by name, five people familiar with the case say that Azari is being charged in relation to New Delhi-based BellTroX InfoTech Services, which Reuters last year reported was behind a hacking campaign that targeted lawyers, government officials, businessmen, investors and activists around the world.

Azari is charged with conspiracy to commit hacking, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, court documents show.

01.07.2021 - 10:59 [ thePrint.in ]

Small IT firm in Delhi ran one of world’s ‘largest’ hacker-for-hire services: Reuters expose

(10.06.2021)

Citing an article in The Financial Times, which in turn cites the Citizen Lab report, Muddy Waters Research tweeted that a German payment processing company Wirecard was a client of BellTrox.

29.06.2021 - 13:10 [ Haaretz ]

‘The State’s Right’: Top Court Refuses to Rule on Israeli Sale of Spy Tech to Russia

Israel’s defense exports, including the sale of offensive cyber technologies to foreign countries, and the policy that governs them is beyond the jurisdiction of Israeli courts, the Supreme Court ruled Sunday. The court’s justices refused to hear a petition filed by human right activists against the director of Israel’s Defense Ministry and Cellebrite, the digital forensics company, for the sale of phone-hacking tech to Russia.

24.06.2021 - 02:56 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court declines to expand police power to enter home without warrant

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant police more authority to enter the home of a fleeing suspect following a minor offense.

The unanimous ruling adopts a legal test that involves weighing the circumstances of a warrantless search to determine its lawfulness under the Fourth Amendment.

23.06.2021 - 12:23 [ Haaretz ]

Release the Transcripts of Israel’s COVID Cabinet Meetings

The Supreme Court is currently deliberating over Haaretz’s petition, drafted by attorney Tal Lieblich, to release transcripts of cabinet and ministerial committee meetings on the coronavirus. For more than a year, this battle has been wending its way through the courts. In addition to its demand that the full transcripts be released for public scrutiny, the petition seeks to mount a challenge in principle to a rule that automatically defines all ministerial meetings as classified – a rule that leads to documentation being buried in the archives for at least 30 years.

18.06.2021 - 10:53 [ AFP News Agency / Twitter ]

#UPDATE Britain’s Karim Khan was sworn in Wednesday as the new prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, facing huge challenges, including investigations into the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan and the Philippines

10.05.2021 - 02:05 [ B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم / Twitter ]

„After attorney general requests deferral, High Court says a new date for the hearing will be set within 30 days and that the Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah will remain in their homes until a decision is made“

21.04.2021 - 07:06 [ Yahoo.com ]

Full coverage: Chauvin found guilty of murder in George Floyd’s death

After less than 12 hours of deliberations, the jury returned its verdict against Chauvin, finding him guilty on all three counts: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

05.04.2021 - 23:10 [ i24news.tv ]

Israel: High Court rules movement ban during virus lockdown ‚unconstitutional‘

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled on Sunday that the government repeatedly overstepped its authority it barred citizens from departing their homes more than one kilometer during multiple coronavirus lockdowns.

In the eight-to-one decision handed down on Sunday, the court specifically cited Israel’s second national lockdown last October, noting the government’s actions constituted a „disproportionate violation of the right to protest and were unconstitutional.“

25.03.2021 - 19:18 [ RT.com ]

Israel’s High Court bars Netanyahu from appointing top law enforcement & justice officials as it could affect his corruption trial

In their decision on Thursday, the judges sided with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who earlier laid out conflict of interest rules regarding Netanyahu’s situation. Mandelblit insisted that the PM must be prevented from appointing officials who would have the power to influence the probe against him.

19.03.2021 - 23:34 [ Movement for Quality Government in Israel ]

We petitioned the High Court of Justice in demand of a full investigation regarding the Submarines Affair

Our investigative department got hold of new evidence concerning the Submarines Affair (our efforts continue – the department still investigates the affair in full energy). In our petition to the High Court of Justice we requested the judges to order the following:

1. Criminal investigation of Netanyahu’s Steel Shares Affair. 2. Criminal investigation against Netanyahu in the Submarines Affair. 3. Establishing a State Inquiry Committee in order to finally investigate this severe affair.

17.03.2021 - 20:54 [ Haaretz ]

Top Court Strikes Down COVID Restrictions on Citizens‘ Entry and Departure From Israel

In a damning verdict, the judges noted that „Israel is the only democratic country in the world where the right of citizens to enter their country has been so sweepingly restricted.“

On the figure of 3,000, the judges stated that this was set by the government before they had gathered data on the number of nationals who were stuck abroad, and ordered any future restrictions to be based on updated and comprehensive facts.

10.03.2021 - 12:08 [ teleSUR ]

Honduran President Implicated in Cocaine Trafficking to the US

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández helped smuggle thousands of kilos of cocaine into the United States, a U.S. prosecutor said Tuesday in opening arguments in the federal trial of alleged drug trafficker Geovanny Fuentes in New York.

03.03.2021 - 10:02 [ New York Times ]

Supreme Court Seems Ready to Sustain Arizona Voting Limits

Several members of the court’s conservative majority said the restrictions were sensible, commonplace and at least partly endorsed by a bipartisan consensus reflected in a 2005 report signed by former President Jimmy Carter and James A. Baker III, who served as secretary of state under President George Bush.

The Biden administration, too, told the justices in an unusual letter two weeks ago that the Arizona measures appeared to be lawful.

03.03.2021 - 09:59 [ Fox News ]

Jason Snead: Supreme Court voting rights case could change rules across the country. Here’s how

Perhaps no case better illustrates the political left’s current animosity to even the most commonsense election protection measures, or its willingness to use unsupported race-based allegations to attack them in court and in public.

Arizona has a voting system that any reasonable observer would think makes it extraordinarily easy to vote. The state offers online voter registration and allows anyone to vote by early ballot for any reason.

27.02.2021 - 17:30 [ Al Jazeera ]

UK Supreme Court’s Uber decision is a victory for all gig workers

From Uruguay and the United States to Australia and France, couriers and drivers have been bringing legal challenges against food delivery and passenger transport companies, such as Uber, Lyft, and Deliveroo, arguing that as their “workers” or “employees” they should be entitled to employment protections such as minimum wage, paid holidays and the right to unionise.

24.02.2021 - 12:53 [ BBC ]

Syria’s ex-intelligence officer convicted in landmark Germany case

„This trial represents the first step towards justice that the Syrian victims have truly felt,“ rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni told the BBC from Germany, where he sought asylum.

Mr Bunni says he was arrested by Anwar Raslan in the Syrian capital Damascus and was shocked to later come face to face with him in a Berlin shop.

12.02.2021 - 05:33 [ Haaretz ]

Illegal Missile Sale to ‚Asian Country‘ Could Harm Israel-U.S. Ties

Investigations by the Shin Bet and police into the alleged sale of military technology to an unnamed Asian country may become one of the most serious security issues in recent memory. Defense officials are concerned that the case may have far-reaching consequences involving a large number of people and potential intelligence and technological fallout.

08.02.2021 - 11:26 [ CNN ]

No indictment for Netanyahu

(20. April 1997)

Netanyahu told CNN’s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“

„It’s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It’s done. It’s finished.“

08.02.2021 - 10:50 [ Haaretz ]

Mendelblit, Don’t Delay

(14.02.2018)

The police announcement Tuesday – that the investigations into two cases involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been completed – came 13 months after Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit decided that a “preliminary examination” of the allegations, which itself took six months, should become full-fledged criminal investigations.

26.01.2021 - 10:05 [ Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety / Twitter ]

With our Member States, we have requested from AZ a detailed planning of vaccine deliveries and when distribution will take place to Member States. Another meeting will be convened on Wednesday to discuss the matter further.

25.01.2021 - 20:25 [ Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety / Twitter ]

In addition, today we discussed with the 27 Member States in the Steering Board that an export transparency mechanism will be put in place as soon as possible. We want clarity on transactions and full transparency concerning the export of vaccines from the EU.

25.01.2021 - 20:20 [ EU Commission ]

Press statement by Commissioner Kyriakides on vaccine deliveries and on the vaccine export transparency scheme

Good evening.

You know that AstraZeneca’s vaccine is currently in the final stages of the approval process with the European Medicines Agency.

If all requirements are met, the European Medicines Agency could recommend market authorisation by the end of this week.

But there is a problem on the supply side.

Last Friday, the company AstraZeneca surprisingly informed the Commission and the European Union Member States that it intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than agreed and announced.

This new schedule is not acceptable to the European Union.

25.01.2021 - 20:02 [ South China Morning Post ]

Coronavirus: EU locks horns with AstraZeneca on vaccine deliveries amid ‘supply shock’

n a sign of the EU’s frustration – after Pfizer also announced a temporary slowdown in vaccine supplies earlier in January – EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides proposed forcing drug makers to register in advance their Covid-19 vaccine exports, so the bloc can keep track of what they are doing.

09.01.2021 - 10:24 [ US JUstice Department ]

Deutsche Bank Agrees to Pay over $130 Million to Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Fraud Case

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (Deutsche Bank or the Company) has agreed to pay more than $130 million to resolve the government’s investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and a separate investigation into a commodities fraud scheme.

The resolution includes criminal penalties of $85,186,206, criminal disgorgement of $681,480, victim compensation payments of $1,223,738, and $43,329,622 to be paid to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission in a coordinated resolution.

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 - 13:03 [ WikiLeaks / Twitter ]

Breaking: A London Judge has denied a bail application for Julian Assange #assangecase

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 - 09:03 [ .gulftoday.ae ]

British court to hear bail plea for WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange today

Following victory in his battle to avoid extradition from Britain to the United States, Assange has remained in the high-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London pending the latest hearing, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London.

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.

06.01.2021 - 08:09 [ El Pais ]

New leads suggest CIA spied on Assange to secure his extradition to the US

The Spanish High Court’s investigation is currently stalled. Six months after Judge De la Mata requested judicial cooperation from US authorities, asking them for identifying information about the IPs that accessed UC Global’s servers, the US justice system has yet to respond. US prosecutors demanded to know the judge’s sources, and De la Mata sent additional information, but no reply has been forthcoming.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has also failed to comply with De la Mata’s request to take statements from the lawyers who were spied on while working with Assange.

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.

28.12.2020 - 12:00 [ Haaretz ]

Israel’s High Court Judges Are Playing Dumb About the Nation-state Law

Amit knows very well that the principle of equality wasn’t omitted from the law by accident, nor is it just a coincidence that it’s impossible to find a Knesset majority for passing a Basic Law on Equality. He knows that discrimination against Arabs in Israel isn’t just a by-product of the nation-state law but its main purpose – that discrimination is the essence of the law: enshrining Jewish superiority and Arab inferiority.

So why did Amit fake intimacy with Jabareen and inquire about his feelings as if he were a guidance counselor rather than a Supreme Court justice, and as if the only change that had occurred was in the lawyer’s emotions rather than Israel’s Basic Laws?

24.12.2020 - 11:35 [ Haaretz ]

Israeli Media Outlets to Be Indicted on Charges Related to Netanyahu Corruption Cases

In its announcement Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office stated its intention to indict corporate entities Yedioth Aharonoth and Walla as well as Eurocom group companies through which Elovich controlled Bezeq, subject to a prior hearing. The Elovich group companies are suspected of bribery and money laundering, while Yedioth Aharonoth is accused of offering a bribe.

12.12.2020 - 15:48 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court rejects Texas’s push to overturn Biden victory

In a brief, unsigned order Friday rejecting the petition, the court made clear its view that Texas lacked the legal right to litigate over how other states conduct their elections.

“Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections,” the ruling states. “All other pending motions are dismissed as moot.”

09.12.2020 - 02:55 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to nullify Biden win in Pennsylvania

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a bid by Pennsylvania Republicans to nullify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the Keystone State, dealing another blow to the long-shot legal effort by President Trump and his allies to overturn the election in the courts.

02.12.2020 - 05:07 [ CNN ]

Trump associates, including Giuliani, are asking for pardons

Giuliani denied discussing a preemptive pardon with the President, telling CNN that the „(New York) Times is completely wrong.“ He further denied he has talked to anyone at the White House about a pardon for himself.

The New York Times first reported that Giuliani was discussing a pardon with the President.

26.11.2020 - 00:44 [ NBC News ]

Defense lawyers rail about unfair prosecutions. Flynn’s case shows why.

(09.05.2020)

Sometimes federal agents are criticized for „creating“ a crime instead of investigating one. Sting operations are examples of crimes that are a consequence of law enforcement actions. Agents create a fictional crime to trick a suspect into attempting to join that crime, thereby creating the crime.

Similarly, Flynn’s crime of lying to government agents was the consequence of the government agents‘ investigation of Flynn. If there was no crime before Flynn’s interview, then there’s little reason to interview Flynn as part of a criminal investigation, unless the agents were looking to create a crime.

26.11.2020 - 00:40 [ CNN ]

Trump announces pardon for Michael Flynn in tweet

President Donald Trump announced in a tweet Wednesday that he has granted his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, a „full pardon,“ wiping away the guilty plea of the intelligence official, lobbyist and conservative fringe darling for lying to the FBI.

20.11.2020 - 03:26 [ Bloomberg ]

Poland Vows to End Street ‘Revolution’ as Police Quash Protest

Poland won’t allow women-led street protests to trigger a “revolution,” a senior government official said, after police cracked down on a demonstration for abortion rights.

Police pepper sprayed demonstrators and cudgeled them with batons late on Wednesday, drawing condemnation from opposition parties. It was an unprecedented show of force after a month of protests against a court ruling that effectively bans abortion.

19.11.2020 - 11:15 [ The Intercept ]

Anti-Nuclear Pacifists Get Federal Prison Terms for Nonviolent Protest

… Armed only with vials of their own blood, hammers, GoPro cameras, spray paint, protest banners, and whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg’s book, the activists symbolically attempted to disarm the nuclear weapons located on the Trident submarines at the base.

07.11.2020 - 10:42 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court orders separate count of late-arriving Pa. ballots

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered Pennsylvania election boards to separately count mail ballots that arrived after Election Day, while rejecting a GOP request to stop counting those votes.

The order, signed by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, left open the possibility that the justices could exclude the late-arriving ballots in a subsequent ruling, a move which Alito and at least two other conservative justices have previously signaled they may be inclined to take.

04.11.2020 - 13:37 [ CNN ]

Why the Supreme Court let some states count mail-in ballots received after Election Day but not others

(29.10.2020)

In the final days before the presidential election, the Supreme Court has been pelted with requests from parties in battleground states seeking last minute approval to change election rules, especially regarding whether mail-in votes can arrive after Election Day and still be counted.

30.10.2020 - 07:38 [ NPR.org ]

‚No Pandemic Exception To The Constitution‘: Court Rejects Minn. Ballot Extension

„The rule of law, as established by the United States Constitution and the Minnesota Legislature, dictates these rules must be followed notwithstanding the Secretary’s instructions to the contrary,“ the assenting judges wrote in explaining their decision.

„There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution.“

18.10.2020 - 11:34 [ Liz Hicks / Twitter ]

Curfew on restaurants and bars in Berlin from 11pm found to lack proportionality by Berlin Admin Court: no evidence infection more likely after 11pm; evidence restaurants & bars were sites of lower transmission.

Berlin Senate is appealing #covid19 #berlin

17.10.2020 - 23:28 [ Fox News ]

Federal judge says Cuomo coronavirus restrictions may turn NYC ‘desolate,’ but allows them

Brooklyn U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan said safety restrictions and guidelines may even “turn New York City into a very different, even desolate, place compared to how it was before the pandemic,” but he declined to grant a preliminary injunction against rules that prohibit restaurants from serving food after midnight. Indoor dining is also restricted to 25% capacity as of Sept. 30.

17.10.2020 - 23:07 [ NBC New York ]

Judge Refuses to Block Cuomo’s COVID Restrictions After Brooklyn Catholic Diocese Files Lawsuit

Ruling in a lawsuit brought by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis said in an order Friday that even though the rules harm religious groups, it is not in the public interest to block them if they are helping prevent a wave of new infections.

14.10.2020 - 02:13 [ Keep Talking Greece ]

Crete: Murderer of US biologist Suzanne Eaton gets life sentence

The body 60-year-old Suzanne Eaton, who was in Chania on Crete to attend a conference, was found nearly 10 km away from her hotel, a week after she was reported missing.

10.10.2020 - 13:48 [ Detroit News ]

Opinion: Gov. Whitmer’s emergency powers ended immediately with ruling

(today)

In response to the Court’s ruling, the governor incorrectly stated that the decision is not effective for another 21 days: Under Michigan Court Rule 7.315(C)(4), “unless otherwise ordered by the Court, an order or judgment is effective when it is issued…” Not 21 days later. Immediately. Her emergency powers are over, and either the Court or the attorney general should publicly clarify that Whitmer’s executive orders no longer have any force of law.

10.10.2020 - 13:26 [ theHill.com ]

FBI says it foiled plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

(08.10.2020)

„Several members talked about murdering ‚tyrants‘ or ‚taking‘ a sitting governor,“ an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. „The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message.“

10.10.2020 - 13:21 [ Detroit News ]

Whitmer slams Supreme Court ruling, warns orders could continue

(02.10.2020)

She warned the court order doesn’t take effect for another 21 days and some of the measures put in place to control the virus can continue under „alternative sources of authority not at issue in today’s ruling.“

10.10.2020 - 13:19 [ DailyWire.com ]

Michigan Supreme Court Rules Whitmer’s Shutdown Order ‘In Violation’ Of State Constitution

(03.10.2020)

The court ruled that Whitmer lacked authority under each of the two laws that govern states of emergency in Michigan to extend the state of emergency passed April 30, when her first state of emergency declaration expired, according to Mlive.com. Those two laws are the 1976 Emergency Management Act (EMA) and the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act (EPGA).

10.10.2020 - 13:14 [ statenews.com ]

Michigan Supreme Court rules against Gov. Whitmer’s COVID-19 orders

(02.10.2020)

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lacked the authority after April 30 to declare a state of emergency under the 1976 Emergency Management Act.

The court also ruled that the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act (EPGA) was unconstitutional, and that it did not provide a basis for Gov. Whitmer to exercise emergency powers.

08.10.2020 - 18:00 [ El Pais ]

Madrid High Court strikes down Health Ministry’s coronavirus restrictions

There was confusion on Thursday as to the immediate effects of the ruling, although it was confirmed that fines cannot now be levied on citizens who flout the perimetral confinement of 10 cities in the region, including the Spanish capital. The court ruling does not, however, have an effect on the other restrictions imposed, such as capacity limits for bars and restaurants, and early closing times for all establishments, as well as a limit of six people for meetings both in public and private.

07.10.2020 - 03:28 [ The Times of Israel ]

Moment of truth in trial of members of Greece’s neo-Nazi Golden Dawn

In total, 68 members of the party have been on trial, including Michaloliakos and more than a dozen other former MPs like him who were elected in 2012 as the openly xenophobic group capitalized on anger over joblessness and migration.

30.09.2020 - 14:17 [ the Grayzone ]

Exclusive: Spanish judge seeks Sheldon Adelson security chief in Assange spying case

The judge’s interest in Nagel indicates that the Spanish investigation is now probing the suspected role of US intelligence as the guiding hand behind UC Global’s criminal spying operation.

Before he was hired as Adelson’s director of global security, Nagel serving as the top cyber-crime investigator for the US Secret Service – a role which earned him a medal of commendation from the CIA. Together with Lahav, he was likely to have played a central role in coordinating between Sands, UC Global, and US intelligence.

30.09.2020 - 14:08 [ El Pais ]

Three protected witnesses accuse Spanish ex-marine of spying on Julian Assange

(21.09.2020)

Morales traveled to the US once or twice a month allegedly to hand over the material to “the Americans.” A microphone was installed on the PVC plastic base of a fire extinguisher near the meeting room where Assange met with his lawyers. The cyberactivist had placed a device that created white noise in this room, and activated it when he thought he was being spied on. He placed another device in the women’s bathroom, where he sometimes met with his lawyers.

UC Global S. L. was hired by Ecuador’s Senain secret service to provide security services to the embassy when Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa was in power. But according to the three witnesses, Morales ordered the Australian to be spied on and created remote-operated computer servers that collected the illegally obtained information, which could be accessed from the United States.

26.09.2020 - 13:15 [ CNN / Twitter ]

„I think that there’s a lot of covering up,“ says Lonita Baker, an attorney for Breonna Taylor’s family, of the investigation into Taylor’s death. „We’re not giving up on state-level manslaughter or murder charges in the case… There’s sufficient probable cause here.“

26.09.2020 - 13:10 [ Ben Crump, Trial Lawyer for Justice / Twitter ]

12 of Breonna Taylor’s neighbors NEVER heard police announce themselves before breaking down her door. Did they get a voice at the Grand Jury proceedings? @KYOAG , if you have nothing to hide, release the transcripts so we know the FULL TRUTH of what was presented!

26.09.2020 - 12:55 [ Guardian News / Youtube ]

Family of Breonna Taylor hold press conference in Louisville – watch live

(25.09.2020)

Attorney Ben Crump, co-counsels Sam Aguiar and Lonita Baker, and the family of Breonna Taylor hold a press conference at Jefferson Square Park in Louisville, Kentucky

26.09.2020 - 12:55 [ Attorney General Daniel Cameron / Twitter ]

Read the press release from today’s announcement regarding the completion of the investigation into the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor, and the Grand Jury’s decision:

(24.09.2020)

26.09.2020 - 12:48 [ courier-journal.com ]

Breonna Taylor’s family, lawyers blast Daniel Cameron over lack of charges in her death

Palmer’s attorneys, Ben Crump, Lonita Baker and Sam Aguiar, specifically called on Cameron to release the grand jury transcript and recording to show what evidence and recommendations he presented.

„What we also want is for you to quit dodging the question. You were asked at the press conference (Wednesday): Did you make a recommendation“ to the grand jury, Baker asked. „You refused to answer. Answer the question: Did you even present any charges regarding Breonna Taylor to the grand jury?“

26.09.2020 - 12:44 [ wach.com ]

USC Law professor, students react to Breonna Taylor indictment

(24.09.2020)

Jasmine Caruthers is one of the two students helping Miller and said she had mixed emotions on the decision.

„Part of me was happy that the Taylor family was going to get compensated because they have been through so much. Another part of me was extremely sad because at the end of the day you can’t put a price tag on someone’s life,“ said Caruthers.

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 [ 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/

15.09.2020 - 19:30 [ teleSUR ]

AMLO Will Seek a Referendum To Prosecute Former Presidents

Since August, activists from different political parties have been asking people to sign a petition to demand that former presidents Carlos Salinas de Gortari, Felipe Calderón, and Enrique Peña Nieto be judge over corruption charges.

13.09.2020 - 15:11 [ Amnesty International ]

Iran: Secret execution of wrestler Navid Afkari a ‘travesty of justice’

Before his secret execution Navid Afkari, 27, was subjected to a shocking catalogue of human rights violations and crimes, including enforced disappearance; torture and other ill-treatment, leading to forced “confessions”; and denial of access to a lawyer and other fair trial guarantees.

“This young man desperately sought help in court to receive a fair trial and prove his innocence. Leaked voice recordings of him in court expose how his pleas for judges to investigate his torture complaints and bring another detainee who had witnessed his torture to testify were unlawfully and cruelly ignored,” said Diana Eltahawy.

25.07.2020 - 15:48 [ Consortium News ]

CIA ‘Obsessed’ With Former UK Envoy Who Will Testify in Spying-on-Assange Case

The former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange says he was the “top target” of the 24/7 surveillance of Assange at Ecuador’s embassy in London by the Spanish security company UC Global, which, according to press reports and court documents, shared the surveillance with the CIA.

Craig Murray said he has been contacted by an attorney in the spying case on Assange and that he will be going to Madrid to testify. The founder of UC Global, David Morales, was arrested over the surveillance (including privileged Assange-lawyer conversations) and is on trial.

Murray told former CIA analyst Ray McGovern in an email, shared with Consortium News with Murray’s permission, that the CIA was “obsessed” with him.

25.07.2020 - 15:09 [ Tom Cotton, US Senator / Twitter ]

Freedom of religion is our first freedom. Yet SCOTUS has ruled that casinos can host hundreds of gamblers, while churches cannot welcome their full congregations. Justice Roberts once again got it wrong, shamefully closing church doors to their flocks.

25.07.2020 - 15:07 [ theHill.com ]

Conservatives blast Supreme Court ruling: Roberts has ‚abandoned his oath‘

Conservative lawmakers blasted Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after he sided with the court’s liberal justices in a 5-4 decision Friday that rejected a Nevada church’s request to block the state government from enforcing a cap on attendance at religious services.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted early Saturday morning that Roberts had „abandoned his oath.“

25.07.2020 - 12:08 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court again rejects church challenge to virus restriction

The decision was a 5-4 ruling, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the liberal wing.

The court’s order was unsigned and did not provide any reasoning, common practice when the high court acts on emergency applications. The court’s conservative justices filed three dissents.

25.07.2020 - 11:51 [ Techdirt ]

Japan’s Top Court Says 45 Million Twitter Users Must Check That Anything They Retweet Is Not A Copyright Infringement

The case concerns a photo of a flower, originally posted on a web site in 2009, with the photographer’s name and copyright notice. As often happens, the photo was then tweeted without the photographer’s consent, and was further retweeted.
(…)
As a result, the Japanese High Court ordered Twitter to hand over the email addresses of all those who had posted the image.

17.07.2020 - 02:04 [ CBC ]

Judge calls for review after CSIS fails to flag info likely obtained illegally

In his ruling released Thursday, Federal Court Justice Patrick Gleeson found the Canadian Security Intelligence Service breached its duty of candour to the court, part of a troubling pattern dating back years.

14.07.2020 - 10:11 [ theGuardian.com ]

Israeli court dismisses Amnesty bid to block spyware firm NSO

A Tel Aviv court has rejected a legal case filed by Amnesty International that attempted to block the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group from selling its cyberweapons internationally.

The rights groups sought to force the Israeli defence ministry to revoke NSO Group’s export licence for its leading phone-hacking software, Pegasus. Amnesty’s lawyers alleged the product had been used by repressive governments to target activists, including one the rights group’s own researchers, as well as journalists.

14.07.2020 - 10:09 [ Amnesty.org ]

Israel: Court rejects bid to revoke notorious spyware firm NSO Group’s export licence

“Today’s disgraceful ruling is a cruel blow to people put at risk around the world by NSO Group selling its products to notorious human rights abusers. At a moment when NSO and the Israeli MOD should be held accountable for their practices, it is appalling that the court has failed to do so.

“NSO Group continues to profit from human rights abuses with impunity. The ruling of the court flies in the face of the mountains of evidence of NSO Group’s spyware being used to target human rights defenders from Saudi Arabia to Mexico, including the basis of this case – the targeting of one of our own Amnesty employees. We will continue to do all we can to stop NSO Group’s spyware being used to commit human rights abuses.

11.07.2020 - 11:02 [ Politico.com ]

New documents show internal debate over whether to prosecute Flynn

The newly public documents include notes of a Jan. 25, 2017 meeting between FBI and DOJ officials in which Deputy Assistant Attorney General Tashina Gauhar included several passages indicating that the agents who interviewed Flynn about his dealings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak saw no indication Flynn was trying to deceive them. Gauhar recounts that the agents thought Flynn was “being forthright” and “believe[d] that F. believe[d] that what he said was true.”

11.07.2020 - 11:01 [ Rep. Jim Jordan / Twitter ]

Comey’s FBI: -Believed Michael Flynn was telling the truth. -Knew Flynn wasn’t a Russian agent. But went after Flynn with a bogus perjury charge. Wow.

10.07.2020 - 15:06 [ theHill.com ]

Five takeaways from Supreme Court’s rulings on Trump tax returns

Roberts laid out a list of factors for courts to consider when weighing such subpoenas but stressed that the list was not comprehensive, noting how rarely interbranch disputes have come before the court over the nation’s history.

“Other considerations may be pertinent as well; one case every two centuries does not afford enough experience for an exhaustive list,” the chief justice wrote

09.07.2020 - 17:51 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court grants NY prosecutors access to Trump’s tax returns, rebuffs Congress

The Supreme Court in a split decision on Thursday granted New York state prosecutors access to President Trump’s tax returns, even as it shielded a trove of his financial records from Congress.

The justices upheld a Manhattan district attorney subpoena for eight years of Trump’s financial documents, including his personal and corporate tax returns. But they declined to grant Congress access to records subpoenaed by a trio of Democratic-led House committees.

09.07.2020 - 14:02 [ .i24news.tv ]

Netanyahu lawyer quits ahead of second corruption hearing set for July 19

The 70-year-old premier, whose personal fortune has been estimated at more than $10 million, was also ordered to return some of the money he received from his American cousin Nathan Milikowsky to cover legal expenses.

Following those setbacks, defense lawyer Micha Fettman resigned from the right-wing premier’s defense team.

Multiple Israeli media outlets reported Wednesday that the resignation was linked to money and the prospect that Fettman’s fees would not be covered.

07.07.2020 - 16:30 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

UN slams Donald Trump for killing Iranian General Soleimani because there was ‚insufficient evidence he was behind an ongoing or imminent attack‘

A U.N. human rights investigator issued the report on Monday noting that the January 3 attack which killed Iranian General Soleimani violated the U.N. charter
She said that the US had failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the strike
She is calling for accountability for targeted killings by armed drones, like those used in the US strike
President Trump had authorized the strike against Soleimani months beforehand

06.07.2020 - 20:12 [ NBC Boston ]

Justices Rule States Can Bind Presidential Electors‘ Votes

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that states can require presidential electors to back their states’ popular vote winner in the Electoral College.

04.07.2020 - 12:44 [ CNN ]

Supreme Court temporarily blocks court order that cleared the way for expanded vote by mail in Alabama due to Covid-19

The court’s decision also comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly disparaged voting by mail as prone to fraud. The President has claimed, without evidence, that there is systemic cheating with mail-in ballots and has made false accusations against states that are expanding absentee and mail-in options, despite voting by mail himself.

Numerous studies suggest that voter fraud is all but nonexistent in the US, and the President’s own voter fraud commission disbanded without finding any evidence to back up his claims.

02.07.2020 - 18:29 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court declines to fast-track Texas Democrats‘ bid to expand mail-in voting before July primary

Texas currently only allows absentee ballots from elderly, disabled, incarcerated or traveling voters. The state’s Democrats have been seeking to expand the definition of „disabled“ to include those who fear coronavirus exposure during in-person voting.

28.06.2020 - 15:40 [ i24NEWS English / Twitter ]

A #Jerusalem court has released former Air Force general and leading activist opposed to #Netanyahu whose arrest prompted hundreds to protest outside the prime minister’s residence.

28.06.2020 - 09:31 [ Haaretz ]

Israeli Court Orders Leader of Protest Against Netanyahu Released From Police Custody

The organizers said that over the course of the week, they will establish a protest tent on Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard – recalling the tent city that had been erected there during the social protests of 2012.

Additional protests are taking place at some 70 intersections throughout the country. Dozens of protesters are present at each junction, holding signs reading „Netanyahu is corrupt and corrupts,“ „Investigation now“ (referring to the so-called submarine affair), „The defendent needs to go home,“ and other slogans.

27.06.2020 - 09:19 [ New York Times ]

Supreme Court Turns Down Request to Allow All Texans to Vote by Mail

The state’s primary runoff election, which was postponed in light of the pandemic, is scheduled to be held on July 14. Judge Biery’s ruling also applied to the general election in November.

26.06.2020 - 15:50 [ USA Today ]

Trump White House wins court ruling upholding plan to require insurers and hospitals to disclose prices

(24.05.2020)

The Trump administration won a court ruling Tuesday upholding its plan to require insurers and hospitals to disclose the actual prices for common tests and procedures in a bid to promote competition and push down costs.

21.06.2020 - 15:43 [ CNN ]

Geoffrey Berman is leaving office immediately after standoff with Trump administration

Berman leaves behind a string of high-profile prosecutions and investigations. Since he became US attorney in early 2018, the office has prosecuted Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, is investigating top Trump confidante Rudy Giuliani and indicted the former New York mayor’s associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman.

20.06.2020 - 08:04 [ theHill.com ]

Oklahoma Supreme Court denies appeal to enforce social distancing at Trump rally

The Oklahoma Supreme Court denied a legal request to require that social distancing be enforced at President Trump’s campaign rally on Saturday, according to media reports Friday.

The decision comes in response to a lawsuit brought by two attorneys on behalf of city residents, businesses and immunocompromised individuals who claimed that the rally would put the community at increased risk of coronavirus infection.

19.06.2020 - 10:25 [ ReclaimTheNet.org ]

Victory for free speech as France’s supreme court crushes authoritarian “hate speech” laws

France’s Supreme Court equivalent rejected most parts of a bill that would obligate social media companies to remove so-called hate speech within 24 hours.

The ruling by the Constitutional Council on Thursday, June 18, 2020, is a win for free speech and even for big social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook.

19.06.2020 - 06:42 [ New York Times ]

Trump Can’t Immediately End DACA, Supreme Court Rules

The program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, protects people brought to the United States as children by shielding them from deportation and letting them work.

16.06.2020 - 05:48 [ theHill,com ]

Workers can’t be fired for being gay or transgender, Supreme Court rules

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled 6-3 in a landmark decision that gay and transgender employees are protected by civil rights laws against employer discrimination.

A set of cases that came before the court had asked the justices to decide whether Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which forbids discrimination on the basis of „sex,“ applies to gay and transgender people.

14.06.2020 - 02:07 [ UN News ]

International Criminal Court oversight chief ‘deeply regrets’ US decision to target officials investigating Afghanistan war crimes

The decision, announced on Thursday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, defence secretary, Mark Esper and attorney general, William Barr, targets ICC officials investigating war crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan by all sides, including the US, and will also see visa restrictions imposed on their families.

13.06.2020 - 13:06 [ i24news.tv ]

Israel: Iyad al-Hallak’s family says authorities hiding security footage

A petition was filed by the family requesting that footage of Iyad’s death be released, but an Israeli court struck it down last week following a police request.

At a funeral held for al-Hallak, his relatives alleged that his death would have been treated differently if he had not been a Palestinian and accused the Israel Police of using lethal violence over nothing but a mere suspicion.