Liberties
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Judge Acknowledges Political Nature of Case against Julian!
It was an important day in Julian’s extradition hearing, with key testimony and some surprises from the judge. The judge acknowledged the political nature of the case, which was surprising to observers. She also said that a ruling would not be issued until after the election, most likely in 2021. Continue reading
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Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 17
During the hearing of medical evidence the last three days, the British government has been caught twice directly telling important lies about events in Belmarsh prison, each lie proven by documentary evidence. The common factor has been the medical records kept by Dr Daly, head of the jail’s medical services. There has also been, to… Continue reading
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Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 16
On Wednesday the trap sprang shut, as Judge Baraitser insisted the witnesses must finish next week, and that no time would be permitted for preparation of closing arguments, which must be heard the immediate following Monday. This brought the closest the defence have come to a protest, with the defence pointing out they have still… Continue reading
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Medical Experts Testify on Assange’s Health and Risk to His Life
Today’s testimony in Julian’s extradition hearing remained focused on Julian’s health and the risk involved in extraditing him to the U.S. As we pointed out yesterday, we will be trying to strike the right balance in our coverage between keeping supporters informed and respecting Julian’s privacy. Continue reading
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Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 15
When Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers, the US Government burgled the office of his psychiatrist to look for medical evidence to discredit him. Julian Assange has been obliged to submit himself, while in a mentally and physically weakened state and in conditions of the harshest incarceration, to examination by psychiatrists appointed by the US… Continue reading
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Extraditing Julian Assange Would Likely Cause His Suicide
Julian’s extradition hearings have entered a new phase as the defense began presenting medical testimony. We expect that this will be the dominant topic for several days, which places us in a delicate situation as we seek to balance keeping supporters informed with respecting Julian’s privacy. Stella Moris, Julian’s partner, wrote earlier today: Continue reading
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Trump Jr. Fixer: Everyone In WikiLeaks Deserve The Death Penalty
When Richard Grenell, one of President Donald Trump’s closest envoys in Europe, was the ambassador to Germany, Grenell reportedly brokered a deal with the Ecuador government for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s arrest and expulsion from the London embassy. Continue reading
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The US is using the Guardian to justify jailing Assange for life. Why is the paper so silent?
Julian Assange is not on trial simply for his liberty and his life. He is fighting for the right of every journalist to do hard-hitting investigative journalism without fear of arrest and extradition to the United States. Assange faces 175 years in a US super-max prison on the basis of claims by Donald Trump’s administration… Continue reading
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Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 14
Monday was a frustrating day as the Assange Hearing drifted deep into a fantasy land where nobody knows or is allowed to say that people were tortured in Guantanamo Bay and under extraordinary rendition. The willingness of Judge Baraitser to accept American red lines on what witnesses can and cannot say has combined with a… Continue reading
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Trump Directed Plot to Arrest Julian Assange!
Julian’s extradition hearing resumed today with important witness testimony. A witness statement read today described President Trump’s involvement in the plan to evict and arrest Julian. Earlier in the day, the court heard expert testimony that devastates the prosecution’s case against Julian dealing with publishing unredacted material. Continue reading
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Open Letter to the UK Prime Minister, Mr Boris Johnson, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland QC, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Dominic Raab and UK Home Secretary Priti Patel
We write to you as legal practitioners and legal academics to express our collective concerns about the violations of Mr. Julian Assange’s fundamental human, civil and political rights and the precedent his persecution is setting. Continue reading
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Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 13
Friday gave us the most emotionally charged moments yet at the Assange hearing, showed that strange and sharp twists in the story are still arriving at the Old Bailey, and brought into sharp focus some questions about the handling and validity of evidence, which I will address in comment. Continue reading
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Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 12
A less dramatic day, but marked by a brazen and persistent display of this US Government’s insistence that it has the right to prosecute any journalist and publication, anywhere in the world, for publication of US classified information. This explicitly underlay the entire line of questioning in the afternoon session. Continue reading
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Assange’s Extradition Trial: Court Hears About History Of Political Prosecutions Under Espionage Act
“There has never, in the century-long history of the Espionage Act, been an indictment of a U.S. publisher under the law for the publication of secrets,” declared Carey Shenkman, an attorney who has co-authored a first-of-its-kind peer-reviewed book on the Espionage Act. Continue reading
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WikiLeaks Revealed 15,000 Civilian Casualties
17 September 2020 — Assange Defense It was another day of explosive testimony in Julian’s extradition hearing, with two witnesses taking the stand. Journalist John Slobada explained to the court the important journalistic contributions of WikiLeaks in revealing civilian casualties, while legal scholar Carey Shenkman stressed how the U.S. indictment of Julian is for a “political offense” and that Julian’s human… Continue reading
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Spontaneous Initiative that Unites Scientists, Doctors, Lawyers and Free Citizens from All over the World
The independent studies of various scientists have highlighted several issues on the virus. Many inconsistencies have emerged from many points of view which are summarized in these two letters. The reflections start from two complementary approaches and ask for explanations by offering new approaches and protocols. Continue reading
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Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 11
Yet another shocking example of abuse of court procedure unfolded on Wednesday. James Lewis QC for the prosecution had been permitted gratuitously to read to two previous witnesses with zero connection to this claim, an extract from a book by Luke Harding and David Leigh in which Harding claims that at a dinner at El… Continue reading
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Good Ellsberg, Bad Assange: At Extradition Trial, Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Dismantles False Narrative
Opponents of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange often hold up Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg as an example of someone who was responsible for a good leak. They insist WikiLeaks is not like the Pentagon Papers because supposedly Assange was reckless with sensitive documents. Continue reading
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“A Disgrace”: Amnesty International Blocked From Monitoring Trial of Julian Assange
Amnesty International’s Europe Director described the hearings against Assange as an “assault on the right to freedom of expression” that would have a “chilling effect on media freedom.” Continue reading
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Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Gives Powerful Defense of Assange
Julian’s extradition hearing in London today included powerful testimony from two key witnesses.The highlight of the day was the appearance of famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Dr. Daniel Ellsberg. You can read our full report on the day here, but here’s a brief recap: Continue reading
The New Dark Age 