Julian Assange Extradition Hearing

[Franklin Pierce]

'Julian Assange put American agents at risk of torture and murder': US claims Osama Bin Laden used documents on WikiLeaks and informants 'disappeared' as a result on first day of extradition hearing

Julian Assange is an 'ordinary criminal' who helped America's enemies by sharing top secret documents online with a cache of downloaded WikiLeaks papers later found inside the bunker where Osama Bin Laden was shot dead in 2011, his British-based extradition battle heard today.

The 48-year-old also allegedly exposed informants helping American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to the risk of 'torture and murder' by publishing unredacted documents online - and several of these activists, journalists and civilians have 'subsequently disappeared'.

Assange, who is being held in Belmarsh Prison after being dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy last year, appeared in the dock at the London court next door today for the first day of his extraordinary British legal face-off with Donald Trump's Government.

He is battling to avoid extradition to Virginia where he faces 18 charges and a jail term of up to 175 years for leaking state secrets in 250,000 classified documents published by WikiLeaks online in 2010.

James Lewis QC, representing the US Government, said Assange had conspired with former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack Department of Defense computers and share its secrets.

Mr Lewis said documents that could only have been sourced from WikiLeaks were found in Osama Bin Laden's Pakistani compound after US Navy SEALs raided it and shot him dead in 2011. This, argued Mr Lewis, is clear evidence that the information from the leaks was 'useful to the enemies of the United States of America'.

The British QC added: 'The US is aware of sources, whose redacted names and other identifying information was contained in classified documents published by WikiLeaks, who subsequently disappeared'.

Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Assange, outlined the 48-year-old's defence claiming he is an innocent man whose extradition is 'politically-motivated' by the Trump administration who want his 'head on a pike' to scare off potential leakers and whistleblowers.

He said: 'Prosecution is not motivated by genuine concern for criminal justice but by politics. This extradition should be barred because the prosecution is being pursued for political motives and not in good faith'.

Mr Fitzgerald continued that Assange would be at risk of inhuman and degrading conditions in an American prison, and would be at risk of suicide.

He added the extradition attempt was directed at Assange 'because of the political opinions he holds', and said he would be denied a fair trial in the United States.

Julian Assange supporters camp out ahead of WikiLeaks founder's fight against extradition to US | Daily Mail Online

 

[midnight orange]

His crime is lèse-majesté.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Julian Assange phoned the White House to warn 'lives were at risk' when military cables were published online before they appeared on WikiLeaks, his lawyer tells US extradition hearing

Julian Assange telephoned the White House to warn that American lives would be put at risk because top secret cables were about to be dumped online - but Hillary Clinton's office told him to call back later, his extradition case heard today.

The 48-year-old Australian is fighting extradition to the US, where he is wanted to face 18 charges over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011.

Prison officers twice stripped Julian Assange naked and handcuffed him 11 times | Daily Mail Online

 

[Franklin Pierce]

US 'plotted to Kill Julian Assange and make it look like an accident': Spies discussed Kidnapping or Poisoning WikiLeaks founder in Ecuadorean embassy, extradition trial hears

US spies hatched a plot to kidnap or even poison Julian Assange using shady Spanish private detectives after he leaked 250,000 top secret documents online, his extradition hearing was told yesterday.

The WikiLeaks founder's human rights barrister Edward Fitzgerald, who has previously represented Moors Murderer Myra Hindley and hate preacher Abu Hamza, said an attack inside London's Ecuadorean embassy would have looked like an 'accident'.

The QC said private security from a Spanish company, acting on behalf of the US authorities, were involved in 'intrusive and sophisticated' surveillance of his client, but were outed by a mysterious Iberian whistleblower known only as 'witness two'.


The covert monitoring allegedly began after UC Global's David Morales returned from a Las Vegas security trade fair in around July 2016 with a contract purportedly for a yacht belonging to Sheldon Adelson, a financial backer of Donald Trump.

'But in fact, Mr Morales had indeed made a side agreement to provide information gathered about Mr Assange to the dark side - in other words, US intelligence agencies,' said Mr Fitzgerald.

Visitors, including lawyers for the 48-year-old, who is facing extradition to America, are said to have been targeted by live-stream audio and video devices placed inside the embassy and laser microphones from outside.

Referring to witness two's evidence, Mr Fitzgerald said: 'There were conversations about whether there should be more extreme measures contemplated, such as kidnapping or poisoning Julian Assange in the embassy.'


Reading from a witness statement, Mr Fitzgerald continued: 'David (Morales) said the Americans were desperate and had even suggested more extreme measures could be applied against the guest to put an end to the situation.'

He said there was a suggestion the embassy door could be left open to make a kidnapping look like it could have been 'an accident', adding 'even the possibility of poisoning had been discussed'.

The extraordinary claims were made on the first day of Assange's extraordinary British legal face-off with Donald Trump's Government, which continues at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court today.

US 'plotted to kill Julian Assange and make it look like an accident' | Daily Mail Online

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Assange trial rehearsal? Hung jury results in mistrial for former CIA tech accused of handing ‘Vault 7’ docs to WikiLeaks

Federal prosecutors were unable to convince a jury on any of the spying-related charges against an ex-CIA engineer accused of stealing reams of classified material – in what may be a dry run for the case against Julian Assange.

In a significant blow to prosecutors on Monday, jurors failed to come to a verdict on eight central counts against former CIA software engineer Joshua Schulte, who was charged for stealing thousands of pages of classified information on the agency’s secret hacking tools and passing them to WikiLeaks – what later became its ‘Vault7’ release, the largest breach of classified material in CIA history.

While Schulte was found guilty of contempt of court and making false statements to investigators, a hung jury on the remaining eight charges – including illegal gathering and transmission of national defense information – prompted District Judge Paul Crotty to order a mistrial and dismiss the jurors on the case, who had deemed themselves “extremely deadlocked” in a note to the judge.

The split verdict came after nearly a full week of messy deliberations, which saw one juror removed for researching the facts of the case against Crotty’s orders. She was never replaced, however, leaving a short-handed panel to deliver a final decision.

The former technician left his job in the CIA’s Langley headquarters in 2016 and was charged some two years later for his alleged role in the Vault 7 leak. But prosecutors had difficulty tying Schulte to the disclosure throughout his four-week trial, with jurors often mystified by a complicated maze of technical evidence.

The case may offer parallels to that of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who faces 17 charges under the World War I-era Espionage Act and up to 175 years in prison over his role in the publication of the Iraq and Afghan war logs in 2010. Assange is accused of helping leaker Chelsea Manning (then known as Bradley) “hack” into military computers to obtain classified material, but if extradited from the UK to stand trial in an American courtroom, prosecutors would likely produce similar technical forensics to prove his involvement, precisely what the government was unable to do in Schulte’s case.

Assange trial rehearsal? Hung jury results in mistrial for former CIA tech accused of handing ‘Vault 7’ docs to WikiLeaks​

 

[Mick]

WikiLeaks founder appears in U.K. court to fight extradition to U.S.

 

[Godfatha]

I’m for anyone that helps hold our governments accountable.

 

[ajvol01]

Assange should be free

 

[Franklin Pierce]

UK Will Not Extradite Julian Assange To Stand Trial In The US

A British judge ruled Monday that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will not be extradited to the United States to face trial on charges that he engaged in espionage and deliberately published documents designed to undermine and imperil the American military.

“In a mixed ruling for Assange and his supporters, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected defense arguments that the 49-year-old Australian faces a politically motivated American prosecution that rides roughshod over free-speech protections,” the Associated Press reported. “But she said Assange’s precarious mental health would likely deteriorate further under the conditions of ‘near-total isolation’ he would face in a U.S. prison.”

Assange has repeatedly said that he will commit suicide if held in solitary confinement in an American prison, something likely to happen given that he is a high-value prisoner. His defense also presented evidence that he suffers from severe depression and some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder — conditions that might cause him to deteriorate mentally and emotionally.

Monday’s ruling, keeping Assange in the UK, though, is just a partial victory. The judge did not make a ruling on whether Assange’s actions, as the founder of Wikileaks, were protected as “reporting” or “publishing” or whether Assange would be able to use the First Amendment as a defense to the espionage charges.

UK Will Not Extradite Julian Assange To Stand Trial In The US

 

[Orangeburst]

UK Will Not Extradite Julian Assange To Stand Trial In The US

A British judge ruled Monday that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will not be extradited to the United States to face trial on charges that he engaged in espionage and deliberately published documents designed to undermine and imperil the American military.

“In a mixed ruling for Assange and his supporters, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected defense arguments that the 49-year-old Australian faces a politically motivated American prosecution that rides roughshod over free-speech protections,” the Associated Press reported. “But she said Assange’s precarious mental health would likely deteriorate further under the conditions of ‘near-total isolation’ he would face in a U.S. prison.”

Assange has repeatedly said that he will commit suicide if held in solitary confinement in an American prison, something likely to happen given that he is a high-value prisoner. His defense also presented evidence that he suffers from severe depression and some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder — conditions that might cause him to deteriorate mentally and emotionally.

Monday’s ruling, keeping Assange in the UK, though, is just a partial victory. The judge did not make a ruling on whether Assange’s actions, as the founder of Wikileaks, were protected as “reporting” or “publishing” or whether Assange would be able to use the First Amendment as a defense to the espionage charges.

UK Will Not Extradite Julian Assange To Stand Trial In The US

Bull crap worried about his health and US system. The feds probably did not want Trump to pardon him and they needed an excuse as they are violating the extradition treaty.

 

[hog88]

Bull crap worried about his health and US system. The feds probably did not want Trump to pardon him and they needed an excuse as they are violating the extradition treaty.

He doesn't have to be on US soil for Trump to pardon him.

 

[Orangeburst]

He doesn't have to be on US soil for Trump to pardon him.

Well if you are stuck in jail in another nation what difference does it make

 

[hog88]

Well if you are stuck in jail in another nation what difference does it make

I don't think a pardon is even on the table.

 

[Electric Orange]

Key witness in Assange case admits to lies in indictment

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Key witness in Assange case admits to lies in indictment

A major witness in the United States’ Department of Justice case against Julian Assange has admitted to fabricating key accusations in the indictment against the Wikileaks founder. The witness, who has a documented history with sociopathy and has received several convictions for sexual abuse of minors and wide-ranging financial fraud, made the admission in a newly published interview in Stundin where he also confessed to having continued his crime spree whilst working with the Department of Justice and FBI and receiving a promise of immunity from prosecution.

The man in question, Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson, was recruited by US authorities to build a case against Assange after misleading them to believe he was previously a close associate of his. In fact he had volunteered on a limited basis to raise money for Wikileaks in 2010 but was found to have used that opportunity to embezzle more than $50,000 from the organization. Julian Assange was visiting Thordarson’s home country of Iceland around this time due to his work with Icelandic media and members of parliament in preparing the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative, a press freedom project that produced a parliamentary resolution supporting whistleblowers and investigative journalism.

Key witness in Assange case admits to lies in indictment

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Julian Assange will NOT be held in a supermax jail if he's extradited, US assures UK in years-long battle to put the Wikileaks founder on trial in America on espionage charges

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will not be held in supermax prison conditions if he is allowed to be extradited to the United States, American officials have assured British authorities.

American officials have made the compromise in the hopes of finally ending the lengthy battle to put Assange, 50, on trial for espionage charges in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported.

If Assange is convicted in an American court, U.S. officials have also said the Australian would be allowed to serve jail time in his home country, the outlet reported.

The revelations were made in a court ruling provided by the U.K. Crown Prosecution Service obtained by the outlet.

Julian Assange's partner, Stella Moris speaks to the media outside the High Court in London on Wednesday following the announcement

Stella Moris is pictured with their child Gabriel outside the High Court in London on Wednesday

Britain's High Court has also granted the U.S. government permission to appeal a January decision that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be sent to the United States to face espionage charges.

The judicial office said Wednesday that the appeal had been granted and the case would be listed for a High Court hearing. No date has been set.

Assange's fiancée, Stella Moris, urged U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday to drop the prosecution launched under his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Moris, who has two young sons with Assange, said outside the High Court that the WikiLeaks founder was 'very unwell' in prison.

'He won his case in January. Why is he even in prison?' she said.

She added: 'Six months ago, Judge Vanessa Baraitser blocked the extradition of my partner, Julian Assange, because consigning him to the US prison system would have amounted to signing his death warrant. That should have been the end of it.

'The case is rotten to the core, and nothing that the US government can say about his future treatment is worth the paper it is written on. This is a country whose agents plotted to kill Julian on British soil, who harried his solicitors and stole legal documents; who even targeted our six-month-old baby.

'I'm appealing to the Biden administration to do the right thing. This appeal was taken two days before the Trump administration left office, and if the Biden administration is serious about respecting the rule of law, the First Amendment and defending global press freedom, the only thing it can do is drop this case.'

Supporters of arrive as a protest picnic demanding the release of Julian Assange is held on his 50th birthday at Parliament Square on July 3, 2021 in London, England

'It seems inconceivable that President Biden would want to continue with this case – because Julian's freedom is coupled to all our freedoms, and no democratic society can ever make journalism a crime,' she said.

'If the Biden Administration does not end this now, the case will limp through the courts while Julian remains in prison indefinitely, unconvicted, suffering and isolated, while our young children are denied their father.'

She added that the 'case is itself falling apart' after the lead witness 'now admits that he lied in exchange for immunity from US prosecutors.'

Julian Assange 'will NOT be held in a supermax jail if he's extradited' | Daily Mail Online

 

[PEPPERJAX]

@Mick

 

[Franklin Pierce]

120 politicians, journalists, and artists sign letter Urging Merkel to Confront Biden over Assange’s extradition, citing concerns

A person wears a mask during a picnic protest marking Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's 50th Birthday, on Parliament Square in London, Britain, (FILE PHOTO) © REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

Over a hundred people from German politics, media, and art have called on their chancellor to confront Joe Biden during an upcoming visit over the attempt to extradite WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange to the US.

120 politicians, journalists, and artists sign letter urging Merkel to confront Biden over Assange’s extradition, citing concerns

 

[Franklin Pierce]

CIA 'made Secret Plans to Kidnap or Assassinate Julian Assange after Wikileaks published sensitive hacking tools - and even Plotted to Shoot Plane Tires if he tried to flee embassy in 2017'

CIA officials under the Trump administration allegedly made secret plans to kidnap or even assassinate Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after the website published sensitive agency hacking tools online, according to a report on Sunday.

The publication of the tools by Wikileaks in 2016 was considered the 'largest data loss in CIA history', and senior agency officials reportedly requested 'sketches' and 'options' on how to kidnap or assassinate Assange in response.

The claims were made in a newly released Yahoo News investigation that included interviews with 30 former US officials.

Former CIA director Mike Pompeo allegedly led the crusade against Assange in 2017 when WikiLeaks continued publishing classified government documents under the name 'Vault 7.'

Pompeo's plans intensified that year when the US government heard Assange might attempt to escape Ecuador for Russia, prompting the CIA to plan a number of scenarios for intercepting him.

One proposal allegedly involved shooting out the tires of his plane if Assange attempted to flee to Russia from London.

Assange had his asylum at the embassy revoked in April 2019, and was arrested by British police. He is currently detained in Belmarsh prison while he fights extradition to the US on espionage charges.

Among the proposals reportedly suggested by agency officials are scenarios that appear to be straight out of a James Bond movie.

They included possible shootouts on the streets of London, crashing a car into a vehicle transporting him, or shooting out the tires of a plane taking him to Russia.

In the lattermost scenario, U.S. officials allegedly even asked their British counterparts to aide in the mission by carrying out the shooting.

A former senior administration official told Yahoo News that the British agreed with the plan.

CIA 'made secret plans to kidnap or assassinate Julian Assange in 2017,' ex-officials say | Daily Mail Online

 

[lawgator1]

CIA 'made Secret Plans to Kidnap or Assassinate Julian Assange after Wikileaks published sensitive hacking tools - and even Plotted to Shoot Plane Tires if he tried to flee embassy in 2017'

CIA officials under the Trump administration allegedly made secret plans to kidnap or even assassinate Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after the website published sensitive agency hacking tools online, according to a report on Sunday.

The publication of the tools by Wikileaks in 2016 was considered the 'largest data loss in CIA history', and senior agency officials reportedly requested 'sketches' and 'options' on how to kidnap or assassinate Assange in response.

The claims were made in a newly released Yahoo News investigation that included interviews with 30 former US officials.

Former CIA director Mike Pompeo allegedly led the crusade against Assange in 2017 when WikiLeaks continued publishing classified government documents under the name 'Vault 7.'

Pompeo's plans intensified that year when the US government heard Assange might attempt to escape Ecuador for Russia, prompting the CIA to plan a number of scenarios for intercepting him.

One proposal allegedly involved shooting out the tires of his plane if Assange attempted to flee to Russia from London.

Assange had his asylum at the embassy revoked in April 2019, and was arrested by British police. He is currently detained in Belmarsh prison while he fights extradition to the US on espionage charges.

Among the proposals reportedly suggested by agency officials are scenarios that appear to be straight out of a James Bond movie.

They included possible shootouts on the streets of London, crashing a car into a vehicle transporting him, or shooting out the tires of a plane taking him to Russia.

In the lattermost scenario, U.S. officials allegedly even asked their British counterparts to aide in the mission by carrying out the shooting.

A former senior administration official told Yahoo News that the British agreed with the plan.

CIA 'made secret plans to kidnap or assassinate Julian Assange in 2017,' ex-officials say | Daily Mail Online

You really think that's why the Trump administration would want to silence him?

 

[NorthDallas40]

You really think that's why the Trump administration would want to silence him?

Assange has the pee tape doesn’t he.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

EXCLUSIVE: Julian Assange Loses his Appeal against Extradition to the US on Espionage Charges

Julian Assange has lost his appeal against extradition to the US on espionage charges.

The judgment was handed down privately on Monday at the High Court.

WikiLeaks founder Assange, 51, launched the appeal last June after then-Home Secretary Priti Patel signed an order authorizing his removal.

Yesterday his wife Stella said that he will appeal the decision. It will be Assange's last chance to overturn the ruling before his options in the UK courts are exhausted.

Director of Advocacy Seth Stern said: 'The idea of Assange or anyone being tried in a U.S. court for obtaining and publishing confidential documents the same way investigative reporters do every day should be terrifying to all Americans.

Julian Assange loses his appeal against extradition to the US on espionage charges | Daily Mail Online

 

[jmacvols1]

 

[LSU-SIU]

Now he just has to hope he isn't taken out by Hillary after getting released.

 

[Orangeburst]

what does this mean? No more leaks?