Day: February 21, 2020

Assange’s Indictment on Political Offense Runs Counter to Extradition Treaty

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20 February, 2020 — Consortium News

The WikiLeaks publisher was indicted for a political offense, writes Marjorie Cohn, which is forbidden by the two-nation treaty.

Assange being forced out of embassy, April 11, 2019. (YouTube)Julian Assange getting dragged out of Ecuadorian embassy, April 11, 2019. (YouTube)

 

By Marjorie Cohn
Truthout

The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison. On Feb. 24, a court in the U.K. will hold a hearing to determine whether to grant President Donald Trump’s request. The treaty between the U.S. and the U.K. prohibits extradition for a “political offense.” Assange was indicted for exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is a classic political offense. Moreover, Assange’s extradition would violate the legal prohibition against sending a person to a country where he is in danger of being tortured.
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Is the ‘consequences room’ for our children a bit ‘Orwellian’?

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21st February 2020 — True Publica

By TruePublica Editor: I was shocked to see the instructions of a “consequence Room” for school children and had no idea that even primary schools are using isolation rooms to punish pupils as young as five years old, with some secondaries admitting they are willing to put older pupils into seclusion for up to five days in a row. If you’re a parent of young children, you are probably aware of this, but I have to admit, this is new to me.

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The Assange Hearing: A Reticent Request

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21 February 2020 — Craig Murray

Julian Assange will stand next week in the armoured dock, accused of the “crime” of publishing. It is worth recalling that Wikileaks has a 100% record of accuracy. Nothing it has published has ever been shown to be inauthentic. Julian stands accused of the crime of telling the truth – more than that, of telling freely to the ordinary people of the world about the crimes which the powerful seek to conceal.

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Statewatch News Online, 17 February 2020 (02/20): No saving lives at sea

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17 February 2020 — Statewatch

EU diplomats call for changes to Operation Sophia so “chances to conduct rescue operations are lower”

The European External Action Service (EEAS) has called on EU governments to limit the saving of lives at sea by Operation Sophia. A note sent to the member states’ permanent representatives in Brussels says the mission should prioritise the enforcement of a UN arms embargo on Libya, rather than monitoring migrant smuggling activities, and suggests that ships could be placed “at least 100km off the Libyan coast, where chances to conduct rescue operations are lower.”

See: Meeting of the Council (Foreign Affairs) on 17 February 2020 – Preparation c) Libya (5995/20, EU RESTRICTED, 12 Februray 2020, pdf)

The issue is being discussed today by the EU Foreign Affairs Council, where there will be an “exchange of views” on Libya
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PARDONING JULIAN ASSANGE: DONALD TRUMP, WIKILEAKS AND THE DNC

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21 February 2020 — Off Guardian

Binoy Kampmark

The central pillar to Democratic paranoia and vengefulness regarding the loss of Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the link between Russian hacking, the servers of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails via WikiLeaks. Over time, that account has become a matter of hagiography, an article of faith, with grave conclusions: WikiLeaks and Russia elected Donald Trump.

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Julian Assange News Links 21 February 2020

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21 February 2020 — The New Dark Age

There may be some duplication due to cross-posting and may be updated throughout the day, so please check back

Veteran “Four Corners” journalist Andrew Fowler denounces Australian government’s refusal to defend Assange
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/afow-f21.html

UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/mcdd-f21.html

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Extensive chemical safety fraud uncovered at German testing laboratory

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16 February 2020 — GM Watch

“If the results did not meet expectations, I was asked to improve them” – testing lab employee

Below is a good article on the chemical safety testing fraud story that we reported on a few days ago.

The original article at Independent Science News features a horrific photo of a monkey subject in one of LPT Hamburg’s experiments.
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Toxic residues through the back door

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17 February 2020 — GM Watch

Pesticide corporations and trade partners pressured EU to allow banned substances in imported crops

Below is an excerpt from an important report that is worth reading in full in order to appreciate the assault on public health that’s being attempted by corporate lobbyists and those EU Commission officials who wish to accommodate their demands.
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