In a prison cited for failing to curb infections, Doctors4Assange warn that Julian Assange is at high risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus.

Doctors4Assange strongly condemns last Wednesdays decision by UK District Judge Vanessa Baraitser to deny bail to Julian Assange. Despite our prior unequivocal statement[1]that Mr Assange is at increased risk of serious illness and death were he to contract coronavirus, and the evidence of medical experts, Baraitser dismissed the risk, citing UK guidelines for prisons in responding to the global pandemic: I have no reason not to trust this advice as both evidence-based and reliable and appropriate.[2]

Notably, however, Baraitser did not address the increased risk to Mr Assange relative to the general UK prison population, let alone prisoners at HMP Belmarsh where Assange is incarcerated. Nor did she address the rapidly emerging medical and legal consensus that vulnerable and low-risk prisoners should be released, immediately.

As the court heard, Mr Assange is at increased risk of contracting and dying from the novel disease coronavirus (COVID-19), a development which has led the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern[3]and a global pandemic.[4]The reasons for Mr Assanges increased risk include his ongoing psychological torture, his history of medical neglect and fragile health, and chronic lung disease.

Edward Fitzgerald, QC, representing Mr Assange, said, These [medical] experts consider that he is particularly at risk of developing coronavirus and, if he does, that it develops into very severe complications for him If he does develop critical symptoms it would be very doubtful that Belmarsh would be able to cope with his condition.[5]

Baraitsers casual dismissal of Mr Assanges dire situation in the face of the COVID-19 emergency stood in stark contrast not only to the expert medical evidence, but the proceedings themselves. The hearing took place on the third day of the UKs coronavirus lock-down. Of the two counsels representing Mr Assange, Edward Fitzgerald QC wore a facemask and Mark Summers QC participated via audiolink. US attorneys joined the proceedings by phone.

Mr Assange himself appeared by videolink, which was terminated after around an hour, rendering him unable to follow the remainder of his own hearing, including the defence summation and the District Judges ruling. Mr Assanges supporters attending in person observed social distancing measures. Overall only 15 people were in attendance, including judge, counsel, and observers.

Baraitser further erred by stating that because no prisoners at HMP Belmarsh currently have coronavirus, Assange was not yet at risk. Mr Assanges counsel noted, in contrast, that they had difficulty visiting him after being told by Belmarsh staff that over 100 Belmarsh employees are currently self-isolating. Furthermore, it is unclear whether any Belmarsh prisoners have even been tested for coronavirus.

Baraitsers assurance that government measures were adequate to protect Mr Assange also rang hollow on the very day the UK government announced that Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19. If the UK government cannot protect its own royal family from the disease, how can it adequately protect its most vulnerable prisoners in prisons, which have been described as breeding grounds for coronavirus?

Furthermore, news emerged on the day of the hearing that 19 prisoners in 10 prisons across the UK had tested positive for coronavirus, an increase of 6 prisoners in 24 hours.[6]From the time of the hearing to date, two UK inmates have died from COVID-19, both of whom, like Assange, are men in high risk groups.[7]

This news, and the decision to deny Mr Assange bail, is alarming in light of numerous statements and reports that have called out the risk to prisoners, urgently recommending release of non-violent prisoners, as well as actions taken by other nations to alleviate the risk.

Specifically, a March 17 report[8]by Professor of Public Health, Richard Coker of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, found that congregate settings such as prisons provide ideal conditions for explosive transmission of coronavirus. Hours matter in terms of containment, Professor Coker warns. The report recommends that if detention is unnecessary it should be relaxed. This should be done before the virus has a chance to enter a detention centre.

Accordingly, on the same day as Mr. Assanges bail hearing, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, issued a statement[9]calling on authorities to release prisoners who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, as well as low-risk inmates. Now, more than ever, governments should release every person detained without sufficient legal basis, including political prisoners and others detained simply for expressing critical or dissenting views, she said.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that in a health crisis such as that posed by COVID-19, the rights of detained people must be protected under the UN Mandela Rules governing the rights of prisoners, noting that prisons are home to vulnerable populations such as the elderly, inmates with illnesses or disabilities, and pregnant or juvenile detainees. Such populations are often detained in facilities that are overcrowded and unhygienic, in some cases dangerously so she stressed.

Physical distancing and self-isolation in such conditions are practically impossible, the High Commissioner wrote. With outbreaks of the disease, and an increasing number of deaths, already reported in prisons and other institutions in an expanding number of countries, authorities should act now to prevent further loss of life among detainees and staff.

Consistent with that advice, in Mr Assanges home country of Australia, on March 24 the New South Wales government announced[10]the early release of select prisoners, based on their health vulnerability and custodial and conviction status, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the US, the chief physician of Rikers Island, New York, has urged judges and prosecutors to release inmates, where possible, to protect them from coronavirus, and 600 prisoners incarcerated for minor and non-violent offences have been released in Los Angeles. Over 3,000 doctors and medical workers have also signed an open letter urging US immigration authorities to release detainees in order to mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak.[11]

Adding their legal voices to these medical and human rights authorities, the day after Mr Assanges bail hearing, three professors in law and criminology recommended granting bail to unsentenced prisoners to stop the spread of coronavirus.[12]

Julian Assange is just such an unsentenced prisoner with significant health vulnerability. He is being held on remand, with no custodial sentence or UK charge in place, let alone conviction.

Doctors4Assange are additionally concerned that keeping Assange in Belmarsh not only increases his risk of contracting coronavirus, it will increase his isolation and his inability to prepare his defence for his upcoming extradition hearing, in violation of his human right to prepare a defence. Mr Assanges lawyers have been increasingly restricted from visiting him as prisons lockdown visitation to prevent spread of the coronavirus.

These two factors are already major contributors to Mr Assanges psychological torture, and we are alarmed that the combination of Baraitsers decision, together with increasingly stringent prison restrictions in response to the pandemic, will intensify that very torture. This further increases his vulnerability to coronavirus.

Moreover, Assanges witnesses are unlikely to be able to travel to his extradition hearing in May, due to travel restrictions put in place by either the UK or their home countries. This could result in further delay to his extradition hearing, thereby prolonging his medically dangerous abuse by psychological torture and politically motivated medical neglect, as we detailed in our letter published in the March 7 issue ofThe Lancet.[13]

Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor in chief of WikiLeaks, summarised Baraitsers decision in a manner consistent with the overwhelming medical and legal consensus, and long held-medical ethics: To expose another human being to serious illness, and to the threat of losing their life, is grotesque and quite unnecessary. This is not justice, it is a barbaric decision.[14]

Contact:info@doctorsassange.orgTwitter:https://twitter.com/doctors4assange

[1]From the Doctros4Assange website:https://doctorsassange.org/embargoed-press-release-doctors-for-assange-reply-to-minister-payne-18-03-20/

[2]From Marty Silk live tweet during the proceedings:https://twitter.com/MartySilkHack/status/1242807708778192897

[3]From the World Health Organization website:https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)

[4]From the World Health Organization website:http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/news/news/2020/3/who-announces-covid-19-outbreak-a-pandemic

[5]Bridges for Media Freedom, Briefing, Assange Bail Application, 25 March 2020.

[6]https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/03/25/prisons-19-inmates-test-positive-for-coronavirus-in-10-jails/

[7]https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/26/second-uk-prisoner-dies-contracting-coronavirus-inside-12459973/

[8]https://detentionaction.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Report-on-Detention-and-COVID-Final-1.pdf

[9]https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25745&LangID=E

[10]https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-prepares-for-early-release-of-prisoners-during-covid-19-pandemic-20200324-p54db5.html

[11]https://countercurrents.org/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-u-s-doctors-demand-immediate-release-of-prisoners-and-detainees

[12]http://theconversation.com/we-need-to-consider-granting-bail-to-unsentenced-prisoners-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-134526

[13]https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30383-4/fulltext

[14]https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/julian-assange-coronavirus-prison-bail-release-belmarsh-latest-a9424621.html

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ASSANGE EXTRADITION: Doctors Warning on Assange in a Covid-19 Breeding Ground - Consortium News

As President Donald Trumps attacks on the news media increased in 2019, journalists and news organizations in the United States faced a wide range of threats from public officials and agencies, including physical attacks, subpoenas, and unlawful searches and seizures, according to the Reporters Committees third annual report analyzing data from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.

More than two dozen press freedom organizations, including the Reporters Committee, launched the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker in 2017 to document threats against press freedom nationwide. The Reporters Committee surveys the Tracker data each year to assess what it means for our pro bono work as the only national legal services organization focused on protecting the newsgathering rights of journalists.

The full version of the latest report can be found at this link, but here are five key takeaways:

Journalists were the targets of 34 physical attacks in 2019. That includes at least three women who were attacked in a sexual way while filming live shots.

As in previous years, the report found, protests were especially dangerous locations for journalists, though Trumps rallies, which he often uses to disparage the press, were also the site of two physical attacks against reporters.

While 2019 saw fewer arrests of journalists just nine last year, compared to 11 in 2018 and 38 in 2017 there was an uptick in the number of subpoenas reported to the Tracker, seeking the records or testimony of reporters. The Press Freedom Tracker identified 27 total subpoenas last year, compared to 25 in 2018 and eight in 2017.

Troublingly, several journalists and news outlets reported that they believed they were subpoenaed as a form of retaliation or harassment for critical reporting or for filing court access or public records lawsuits.

In 2019, Customs and Border Protection officials detained journalists at border stops, searched their belongings and electronic devices, and questioned them about their work. About 75 percent of the border stops reported to the Press Freedom Tracker occurred as journalists traveled to or from Mexico.

One journalist was asked if he was part of the fake news media, while others were questioned about their political views and told to fall in line with the president.

While most searches and seizures happened at the border, according to the report, the most high-profile incident in 2019 occurred when San Francisco police searched freelance journalist Bryan Carmodys home and office as part of an effort to uncover the confidential source of a leaked police report concerning the death of a public defender.

San Francisco judges ultimately quashed all of the search warrants, deeming them illegal under Californias shield law. The Reporters Committee joined a friend-of-the-court letter in support of Carmody, successfully sued to unseal records about the arrest and searches, and filed a public records lawsuit against the Justice Department and FBI seeking information about why federal officers were present during the raid and tried to question Carmody about his source.

The Justice Department prosecuted three people in 2019 for sharing government secrets with journalists. That continues federal law enforcements efforts to use criminal laws particularly the federal spying law to punish journalistic sources. Anecdotal information suggests that the increased prosecution of leaks is making it more difficult for journalists, especially national security reporters, to gather information from sources.

And in a highly controversial move, a federal grand jury issued indictments against Julian Assange. The charges include three counts that, for the first time in U.S. history, present the legal theory that the mere act of publishing government secrets is akin to spying. The Reporters Committee has published several special analyses about the Assange charges and continues to monitor the latest developments in the case.

Read the full 2019 Press Freedom Tracker report.

The Reporters Committee regularly files friend-of-the-court briefs and its attorneys represent journalists and news organizations pro bono in court cases that involve First Amendment freedoms, the newsgathering rights of journalists and access to public information. Stay up-to-date on our work by signing up for our monthly newsletter and following us on Twitter or Instagram.

Read more here:
5 takeaways from RCFP's 2019 Press Freedom Tracker report - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

The Covid-19 crisis has created a dire situation for inmates in British prisons, WikiLeaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson has warned, including Belmarsh prison where Julian Assange is being held despite a request for emergency bail.

In a video posted by WikiLeaks official campaign to stop Assanges extradition to the US, Hrafnsson said prisoners were being kept mostly to their cells and had no access to any activities.

It doesnt take an expert to understand that the prison environment is the worst environment for illnesses such as Covid-19.

Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied a request for bail made by Assanges legal team last week, ruling that the pandemic does not provide grounds for his release, despite the fact that the journalist suffers from a chronic lung condition and may be a high-risk case if he contracted the virus.

Baraitser justified her denial by saying that there were no known cases of the coronavirus infection in Belmarsh. Assanges lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC claimed recently, however, that the defense team were denied entry to the prison because 100 staff were self-isolating due to fears over the spread of the highly contagious disease.

Hrafnsson also slammed reports that in some prisons, inmates with regular flu-like symptoms were being placed in cells with others who had tested positive for the virus, leaving them to potentially contract the more serious infection. The situation was outrageous, if not criminal, he said.

No one knows how widespread the virus is inside the prison, no one is testing. Journalists who are asking questions are getting misleading answers, if they are getting any answers at all, Hrafnsson added.

The WikiLeaks editors warnings come as investigative website Declassified UK revealed that Assange is only one of two prisoners at Belmarsh being held on a bail violation.

Figures provided to the website by the British Ministry of Justice (MOJ) show that about 20 percent of prisoners were held for murder, with two-thirds of all inmates incarcerated for violent offences. Twenty prisoners were being held for sex crimes against children, and 16 for terrorism-related offences.

Only one other prisoner is being held in a similar category to Assange, described in the documents as having failed to answer court/police bail as soon as practicable.

Declassified UK also revealed that Belmarsh may be a particularly dangerous prison for inmates like Assange with health conditions since it has been repeatedly criticised by prisons inspectors since 2005 for not having adequate anti-infection precautions in place.

Official checks of the site in 2007, 2009, and 2013 found inadequate infection measures in place. A report in 2018 found that the prison had finally implemented suitable infection control policies but a report by the Independent Monitoring Boards in 2019 described the state of the showers and toilets in Belmarsh as appalling.

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No one knows how widespread Covid-19 may be in Belmarsh, WikiLeaks editor says as concerns over prison conditions raised - RT