14 September 2020 — Assange Defence
Julian’s extradition hearing resumed today after proceedings were interrupted last week due to a COVID false alarm.
Today’s session was plagued by technical difficulties, so the witness’ testimony was cut short and will have to conclude tomorrow morning. For a full recap of the day’s hearing, visit our live blog.
Expert attorney Eric Lewis: Julian’s Prosecution is Political and Would Lead to a Lengthy, Abusive Detention
Today’s only witness was attorney Eric Lewis, who has represented Guantanamo detainees and serves as chairman of the board of Reprieve. Lewis touched on similar themes as previous witnesses: noting that the prosecution of Julian is politically motivated. Lewis gave powerful testimony about how major U.S. figures, including then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and then-CIA Director (now Secretary of State) Mike Pompeo, have shown bias against Julian — even suggesting that Julian had no First Amendment rights. Lewis also spoke about the harsh conditions Julian would have to endure in the U.S.: solitary confinement, Special Administrative Measures (SAMs), and decades in prison.
You can find a full report on today’s hearing here.
We’ll be back at it tomorrow with more updates. Be sure to check out our our live blog and hearing coverage from Courage Foundation’s Director Nathan Fuller. You can also find real-time updates on Twitter.
Stay tuned,
Team Assange Defense
