LONDON (AP) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in a U.K. court Monday to fight extradition to the United States on espionage charges, and he lost a bid to delay proceedings so that his legal team would have more time to prepare his case.

Assange defiantly raised a fist to supporters who jammed the public gallery in Westminster Magistrates Court for a rare view of their hero. He appears to have lost weight but looked healthy, although he spoke very softly and at times seemed despondent and confused.

Assange and his legal team failed to convince District Judge Vanessa Baraitser that a delay in the already slow-moving case was justified. The full extradition is still set for a five-day hearing in late February, with brief interim hearings in November and December.

Assange hadnt been seen in public for several months and his supporters had raised concerns about his well-being. He wore a blue sweater and a blue sports suit for the hearing, and had his silvery-gray hair slicked back.

After the judge turned down his bid for a three-month delay, Assange said in halting tones he didnt understand the events in court.

He said the case is not equitable because the U.S. government has unlimited resources while he doesnt have easy access to his lawyers or to documents needed to prepare his battle against extradition while he is confined to Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London.

They have all the advantages, the 48-year-old Assange said.

U.S. authorities accuse Assange of scheming with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to break a password for a classified government computer.

Lawyer Mark Summers, representing Assange, told the judge that more time was needed to prepare Assanges defense because the case has many facets, including the very rare use of espionage charges against a journalist, and will require a mammoth amount of planning and preparation

Our case will be that this is a political attempt to signal to journalists the consequences of publishing information. It is legally unprecedented, he said.

He also accused the U.S. of illegally spying on Assange while he was inside the Ecuadorian Embassy seeking refuge and taking other illegal actions against the WikiLeaks founder.

The American state has been actively engaged in intruding into privileged discussions between Mr. Assange and his lawyers in the embassy, also unlawful copying of their telephones and computers (and) hooded men breaking into offices, he said.

He did not provide evidence of these charges, which likely would be part of Assanges defense against extradition when the full hearing is held next year.

Summers said the initial case against Assange was prepared during the administration of former President Barack Obama in 2010 but wasnt acted on until Donald Trump assumed the presidency. He said it represents the administrations aggressive attitude toward whistleblowers.

Summers asked for a three-month delay to the full hear but was rebuffed after lawyer James Lewis, representing the U.S., said the U.S. opposed any delay to the proceeding.

The public gallery was jammed with Assange supporters, including former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, and outside the courthouse others carried placards calling for Assange to be released. There were chants demanding he be freed.

The judge said the full hearing will be heard at Belmarsh Court, which is adjacent to the prison where Assange is being held. She said this would be easier for Assange to attend and contains more room for the media.

Assanges lawyers said the five days wouldnt be enough for the entire case to be heard. They are expected to ask for more time at a later date.

Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid signed an order in June allowing Assange to be extradited.

Assange claims he is a journalist entitled to First Amendment protection.

A number of media freedom groups have said the use of espionage charges against Assange represents a threat to all journalists.

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Wikileaks founder Julian Assange loses bid to delay hearing - The Associated Press

Journalists and media owners have argued the case for press freedom before a federal parliamentary committee examining the issue. While they railed against the raids by the AFP on the ABC and a News Limited journalist, and bemoaned the fragility of legal protections for the media in Australia, the bigger picture is being missed by the Australian media on two fronts.

First, as the High Court again confirmed in a recent decision, Australias lack of a charter or bill of rights means there is little by way of constitutional protection against incursions on freedom of speech. And second, the precedent sought to be set by the United States against an Australian citizen, Julian Assange, places every Australian journalist at risk of extradition to that nation if they publish material of a sensitive nature which Washington does not want aired. These larger issues need resolution.

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, left, at a demonstration in Berlin last month against extradition of Julian Assange to the US.Credit:DPA

Unlike Canada, Britain, the US, European nations within the EU and newer democracies such as South Africa, Australia has refused to embrace a constitutional human rights charter. The government of former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd toyed with the idea but wouldnt spend political capital fighting the conservative opposition, including News Limited, which ironically is now one of the loudest champions of freedom of speech.

But the failure to establish a constitutionally embedded human rights charter, which not only protects freedom of speech but also enshrines a right to privacy, means that governments continue to be able to pass laws that are clearly undermining those rights.

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Why every Australian journalist is at risk if they offend Washington - The Age

The health of imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has deteriorated so drastically that his lawyer says it is not possible to conduct a normal conversation with him.

Swedish outletUpsala Nya Tidningreports that Assange is so ill that he is now in the hospital wing of the prison.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assanges Swedish lawyer wants the arrest hearing on Monday in Uppsala to be postponed. According to the lawyer, who has now visited his client in British prison, Assange is admitted to the medical department and was unable to make a call, the newspaper reports.

Assange is currently imprisoned at Belmarsh Prison in the United Kingdom and facing eighteen charges under the Espionage Act in the United States for his publication of the Iraq and Afghan War Logs. If extradited and convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison.`

The award-winning publisher is under investigation in Sweden for sex crimes, which he and many of his supporters believe is a setup to get him into the nation where he could be more easily extradited to the United States. A hearing in the case is scheduled for June 3 and Assanges legal team had attempted to get it postponed until his health improved.

One of the reasons is that Assanges health situation on Friday was such that it was not possible to conduct a normal conversation with him, Assanges Swedish defense lawyer Per Samuelson told Reuters.

I meant that it should be postponed until I had time to meet again and go through the issues in peace and quiet. I suggested no specific date and meant it should be postponed until everything was ready, but the district court has now decided that this wont happen.

Sweden had tried to drop the investigation in 2013, but was pressured to keep it open by the British government further fueling speculation that it is a political hit job. A Crown Prosecution Service had emailed Swedish prosecutors telling them, Dont you dare get cold feet!!!

Prior to his arrest, Assange spent nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, unable to receive proper medical treatment, despite the lack of sunshine and fresh air taking a toll on his system. Doctors who visited him there wrote an article for the Guardian pleading for him to be allowed to go to the hospital for treatment, headlining their account We examined Julian Assange, and he badly needs carebut he cant get it.

The doctors wrote, experience tells us that the prolonged uncertainty of indefinite detention inflicts profound psychological and physical trauma above and beyond the expected stressors of incarceration. These can include severe anxiety, pathological levels of stress, dissociation, depression, suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain, among others.

A source close to Assange confirmed the reports about his health to The Gateway Pundit.

We have been watching the slow-motion assassination of Julian Assange. They have been choking him to death by tactical psyops, siege tactics, and wilful neglect as surely as if they placed a noose tied around his neck, not just in Belmarsh Prison but in the embassy as well. The only difference between his execution and someone on death row is the same as the difference between covert and overt warfare, which makes sense because the intelligence, judicial and military agencies who are carrying out his death sentence operate within the same power structure which carries out war. First came the smears (propaganda), then came the siege (sanctions), and they staged their coup (dragged him out of the embassy) and now theyve got him in their clutches and they can do what they want behind closed doors. Thats how you kill a nation while still looking like a nice guy, and thats how theyre killing Assange, independent journalist Caitlin Johnstone wrote of his conditions.

Continued here:
Julian Assange Now in Hospital Wing of British Prison, Lawyer ...

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court after he was arrested in London. (Reuters)

The father of Julian Assange says the WikiLeaks founder is being subjected to every sort of torment as heawaits extraditionin Belmarsh prison.

John Shipton said Assange was still being kept in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day at the high-security prison in London, even though he was due to be released earlier this month.

He had served time for a bail violation after he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for almost seven years as he fought moves to extradite him to the United States.

Assange now faces a US extradition hearing next February.

Mr Shipton said the treatment of his son was sordid and hysterical, adding that his health was deteriorating.

In an interview, he said it was extraordinary that his son was being kept in such harsh prison conditions, especially as a United Nations special rapporteur on torture has called for his release.

The only people who are breaking the law are the UK Government and the Crown Prosecution Service, he said.

I last visited Julian in August he was a bit shaky, and is suffering from anxiety. He has lost a lot of weight. It is very distressing, and the intensity of his treatment has increased over the past year.

He is being subjected to every sort of torment.

Mr Shipton also expressed his surprise at the revelation in a Spanish newspaper that a private security company hired to protect the Ecuadorian embassy spied on Assange for the US intelligence service.

A report in El Pais said Global SL supposedly handed over audio and video to the CIA of the meetings Assange held with his lawyers and other visitors.

The company is being investigated for this activity by Spains High Court, said the report.

Mr Shipton said laser microphones and video cameras were used to monitor conversations, even in the toilets.

We could not say anything without it being recorded, and it looks like they wanted to sell it to the CIA in fact they were actually selling Julian.

Story continues

Mr Shipton said todays award was the 16th his son had been awarded for his journalistic and other work with WikiLeaks.

He will receive the award the Gavin MacFadyen Award outside Belmarsh prison, and visit his son next week.

The citation for todays award given on behalf of whistleblowers describes Assange as a courageous truth teller, adding: The most common thread that ran through the reasons for nominating this years winner can be summarised in one sentence: What will happen when the next abuse, corruption, crime or misconduct needs exposing, will other media be too afraid to publish the truth?

This is not a question that should ever be asked in any civilised country.

It comes as it was claimed this week that a Spanish private security company hired to protect the Ecuadorian embassy in London when Assange lived there spied on the WikiLeaks founder for the US intelligence service.

A report in Spanish newspaper El Pais said the company, UC Global SL, allegedly handed over audio and video to the CIA of meetings Assange held with his lawyers.

The company is being investigated over the claims by Spains High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, said the report.

Assange filed a criminal complaint himself, in which he accused the company of violating his privacy and the secrecy of his client-attorney privileges.

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Julian Assange's father claims WikiLeaks founder is being ...

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PARIS British authorities arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Thursday in response to a U.S. extradition request, and a U.S. federal court unsealed an indictment charging him with a single count of conspiracy to disclose classified information that could be used to injure the United States.

Assange was taken into custody by British police after Ecuador rescinded his asylum at its embassy in London, ending a standoff that lasted nearly seven years.

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Londons Metropolitan Police said a statement that Assange was arrested on behalf of the United States authorities and would appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court as soon as possible. British police originally sought custody of Assange for jumping bail after Sweden requested his extradition in a separate case stemming from sexual assault allegations.

In an indictment unsealed hours later, Assange was accused of conspiring in 2010 with Chelsea Manning, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst then known as Bradley Manning, and other conspirators to publish secret military and diplomatic documents that Manning had collected.

Jennifer Robinson, Assanges lawyer, said on Twitter before the unsealing that her client was arrested not just for breach of bail conditions but also in relation to a US extradition request.

Britains Home Office said in a statement that Assange was arrested in relation to a provisional extradition request from the United States, where he is accused ... of computer related offences.

The U.S. indictment unsealed Thursday accuses Assange of agreeing to help Manning break a password to the Defense Departments computer network in 2010. That, prosecutors alleged, would have allowed Manning to log in with another username. The indictment includes no evidence that the password-cracking effort actually succeeded.

Even before the password cracking, though, Manning had given WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of classified records, prosecutors alleged. The material allegedly included four nearly complete databases, comprising 90,000 reports from the Afghanistan war, 400,000 reports from the Iraq war and 250,000 State Department cables.

Robinson told The Washington Post that Assange met this morning with the Ecuadoran ambassador, who notified him that his asylum was being revoked. Then the Metropolitan Police were invited in to the embassy, where they arrested him, the lawyer for Assange said.

She confirmed that the U.S. indictment was issued in December 2017 on a charge of conspiracy with Chelsea Manning dating to 2010. Manning was imprisoned for seven years for violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses after turning over hundreds of thousands of classified or sensitive military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks.

Video of the arrest showed a gray-bearded Assange being pulled by British police officers down the steps of the embassy and shoved into a waiting police van. Assange appeared to be physically resisting. His hands were secured in front of him, but he appeared to be clutching a copy of Gore Vidal's History of the National Security State.

Ecuador, which took Assange in when he was facing a Swedish rape investigation in 2012, said it was rescinding asylum because of his discourteous and aggressive behavior and for violating the terms of his asylum.

The British government heralded the development. Julian Assange is no hero and no one is above the law, Jeremy Hunt, Britains foreign secretary, wrote on Twitter. He has hidden from the truth for years.

Hunt said it was Assange who was holding the Ecuadoran Embassy hostage in a situation that was absolutely intolerable for them. He added: So this will now be decided properly, independently by the British legal system respected throughout the world for its independence and integrity, and that is the right outcome.

He said Britain and Ecuador have been talking for a very long time about how to resolve this situation. He praised Ecuadoran President Lenn Moreno for making a courageous decision, which has meant we were able to resolve the situation today. Hunt said that what is not acceptable is for someone to escape facing justice, and [Assange] has tried to do that for a very long time, and that is why he is no hero.

Sweden dropped its sex crimes inquiry in May 2017 Assange had always denied the allegations. But he still faces up to a year in prison in Britain for jumping bail in 2012.

And, more than anything, he fears extradition to the United States, which has been investigating him for espionage, the publication of sensitive government documents and coordination with Russia.

London's Metropolitan Police carried out the Thursday morning arrest and said in a statement that they were invited into the embassy by the ambassador, following the Ecuadorian governments withdrawal of asylum. In response, the Russian government accused Britain of strangling freedom by taking custody of Assange.

Ecuador has sovereignly decided to terminate the diplomatic asylum granted to Mr. Assange in 2012, Moreno said in a video statement tweeted by the countrys communications department. The asylum of Mr. Assange is unsustainable and no longer viable.

The Ecuadoran president specifically cited Assanges involvement in what he described as WikiLeaks meddling in the internal affairs of other countries, referring to the leaking of documents from the Vatican in January.

Mr. Assange violated, repeatedly, clear-cut provisions of the conventions on diplomatic asylum of Havana and Caracas, despite the fact that he was requested on several occasions to respect and abide by these rules, Moreno said Thursday. He particularly violated the norm of not intervening in the internal affairs of other states. The most recent incident occurred in January 2019 when WikiLeaks leaked Vatican documents.

Key members of that organization visited Mr. Assange before and after such illegal acts, Moreno said. This and other publications have confirmed the worlds suspicion that Mr. Assange is still linked to WikiLeaks and therefore involved in interfering in internal affairs of other states.

WikiLeaks confirmed Assanges arrested and used the occasion as a fundraising opportunity on Twitter.

This man is a son, a father, a brother, the group said in a tweet, above a headshot of Assange. He has won dozens of journalism awards. Hes been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize every year since 2010. Powerful actors, including CIA, are engaged in a sophisticated effort to dehumanise, delegitimize and imprison him.

The group had earlier threatened long-term consequences if Ecuador turned Assange over to the British. If President Moreno wants to illegally terminate a refugee publishers asylum to cover up an offshore corruption scandal, history will not be kind, WikiLeaks said in a statement.

From Moscow, fugitive American former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden described the scene of Assanges arrest as a violation of press freedom. Images of Ecuadors ambassador inviting the UKs secret police into the embassy to drag a publisher of like it or not award-winning journalism out of the building are going to end up in the history books, Snowden wrote on Twitter. Assanges critics may cheer, but this is a dark moment for press freedom.

Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Unions Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in a statement: Any prosecution by the United States of Mr. Assange for WikiLeaks publishing operations would be unprecedented and unconstitutional, and would open the door to criminal investigations of other news organizations. Moreover, prosecuting a foreign publisher for violating U.S. secrecy laws would set an especially dangerous precedent for U.S. journalists, who routinely violate foreign secrecy laws to deliver information vital to the publics interest.

Barry Pollack, Assanges U.S.-based attorney, said that while the indictment charges Assange with conspiracy to commit computer crimes, the factual allegations against him boil down to encouraging a source to provide him information and taking efforts to protect the identify of that source. Pollack added in a statment: Journalists around the world should be deeply troubled by these unprecedented criminal charges.

Ahead of the U.S. election in 2016, WikiLeaks released tens of thousands of emails that had been stolen from the Democratic National Committee and from Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, in cyber-hacks that U.S. intelligence officials concluded were orchestrated by the Russian government.

While he was campaigning for president, Donald Trump repeatedly expressed appreciation for WikiLeaks publication of stolen emails damaging to Clintons campaign.

WikiLeaks I love WikiLeaks! he said in October 2016 at a rally in Pennsylvania, waving a report on the latest disclosures. Boy, I love reading those WikiLeaks, Trump said a few days before the election after a new dump of emails.

When special counsel Robert S. Mueller III indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers, he charged that they discussed the release of the stolen documents and the timing of those releases with WikiLeaks referred to as Organization 1 in the indictment to heighten their impact on the 2016 presidential election.

Among the former Trump aides indicted as a result of Muellers investigation was Roger Stone, a longtime friend of Trumps who was accused of lying, obstruction and witness tampering. His indictment charged that he sought to gather information about hacked Democratic Party emails at the direction of an unidentified senior Trump campaign official.

Assange has been on U.S. prosecutors radar since 2010, when WikiLeaks publication of 250,000 diplomatic cables and hundreds of thousands of military documents from the Iraq War prompted denunciations by then-Secretary of State Clinton and senior Pentagon officials.

The Army private who had passed the material to WikiLeaks, Manning, was tried, convicted and served seven years of a 35-year prison term before having her sentence commuted by President Barack Obama as he left office. She was jailed again last month for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Assange.

In the last administration, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. decided against pursuing prosecution of Assange out of concern that WikiLeaks argument that it is a journalistic organization would raise thorny First Amendment issues and set an unwelcome precedent.

The Trump administration, however, revisited the question of prosecuting members of WikiLeaks, and last November a court filing error revealed that Assange had been charged under seal.

Some federal prosecutors say a case can be made that WikiLeaks is not a journalistic organization. As if to lay the groundwork for such an argument, in April 2017, then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, now secretary of state, characterized WikiLeaks as a nonstate hostile intelligence service and a threat to U.S. national security.

Pompeo also noted then that the intelligence communitys report concluding Russia interfered in the 2016 election also found that Russias primary propaganda outlet, RT, has actively collaborated with WikiLeaks.

Assanges expulsion from Ecuadors embassy reflects a shift in the countrys politics since it first extended refuge to him.

Leftist former president Rafael Correa, now living in Belgium, is wanted for arrest in his homeland over alleged links to a 2012 political kidnapping. Correa was viewed as a member of an anti-Washington gaggle of South American leaders, including Venezuelas Nicols Maduro and Bolivias Evo Morales. He kicked out the U.S. ambassador in 2011.

The more moderate Moreno, in sharp contrast, has sought to mend frayed ties with the United States, Ecuadors largest trading partner, and has dismissed Assange as a stone in my shoe.

In June 2018, Vice President Pence visited Quito, the capital, as part of the most senior U.S. delegation sent to Ecuador in years.

Our nations had experienced 10 difficult years where our people always felt close but our governments drifted apart, Pence said. But over the past year, Mr. President, thanks to your leadership and the actions that youve taken have brought us closer together once again. And you have the appreciation of President Trump and the American people.

Sebastin Hurtado is president of Prfitas, a political consulting firm in Quito.

I think the president has never been comfortable with Assange in the embassy, he said. And its not like this is an important issue for most Ecuadorans. To be honest, we really dont care about Assange.

The Moreno administration had made no secret of its desire to unload the issue. In December 2017, it granted Ecuadoran citizenship to Australian-born Assange and then petitioned Britain to allow him diplomatic immunity. The British government refused, saying the way to resolve the stalemate was for Assange to face justice.

Another hint that Assange was wearing out his welcome came in March 2018, when Ecuador cut off his Internet access, saying he had breached an agreement not to interfere in the affairs of other states. The embassy did not specify what Assange had done, but the move came after he tweeted criticism of Britains assessment that Russia was responsible for the poisoning of a Russian former double agent and his daughter in the city of Salisbury.

Ecuador imposed tighter house rules last fall. Among the demands were that Assange pay for his medical and phone bills and clean up after his cat.

Nakashima reported from Washington and Adam from London. Anthony Faiola in Miami and Rachel Weiner and William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.

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Julian Assange arrested in London, accused by U.S. of ...

Authored by Michelle Wood via Medium.com,

In Orwells dystopian fiction 1984, the governments mission through the Ministry of Truth is to supply its people with news, entertainment, books, films, plays and songs, packed with the information it wants the people to know. It constructs lies to fit the narrative it wishes to establish and sets about rewriting historical documents so they match the constantly changing current party line.

Have we slept walked our way into 1984 with the curious witchhunt of Julian Assange?

From the time Wikileaks published Collateral Murder in 2010, exposing the slaying of Iraqi civilians at the hands of merciless US Apache soldiers, in what became the biggest news story of its time, the United States has wanted Julian Assange silenced and forgotten.

He has lived in a state of confinement since May 2010 when he was arrested and jailed in the United Kingdom, lived under house arrest for a further 18 months in England and then sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy from June 2012 .Yet many people think Assange was in a position where he could simply walk free.

Has there been a well crafted smear campaign to dehumanise Assange and coax the public into forgetting him? How else could he have been detained within two tiny rooms devoid of sunlight for more than six years without public commentary and concern? The apparent dismantling of Assanges character and disinformation has been thorough. Most people do not know the specifics of his case, but believe he is an arrogant rapist and an ungrateful, badly behaved houseguest, smearing faeces on the embassy walls and being cruel to his cat. These disputed claims are now so well accepted its inconceivable that they could actually be lies.

The one surety about Assange was that he did publish secret State documents and videos. Embarrassing yes, but surely not indictable in a country that protects freedom of speech in its constitution. Never mind the fact that Assange is an Australian citizen, but far from protecting him against being tried for espionage in America, the Morrison governments public statements have been limited to assurances that he is being treated like any other citizen with ongoing consular assistance.

Are we being served by our free media in its reportage of the Wikileaks expose and the subsequent treatment of Julian Assange?

Instead of seeing the 2016/17 Democratic National Committee (DNC) email leaks as important data on presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the prevailing narrative by the mainstream media was that Wikileaks handed the presidency to Donald Trump. Although the voter count showed Clinton had the majority by just over 3M votes and that Trumps win had more to do with the American Electoral College system, the focus remained on the now debunked Russiagate.

Julian Assange before his internet was taken away in 2018

In March 2018, the Ecuadorian government imposed new conditions on Assange, removing all forms of communication and restricting his social visits. He was then unable to do any further work with Wikileaks and had limited connection with the outside world. His silencing was almost complete.

In April this year, Ecuadors illegal breach of Assanges asylum followed with his immediate arrest by UK police and a 50 week sentence in a maximum security prison for breaching bail. News organisations had been alerted to Assanges imminent arrest by Wikileaks press releases but these were ignored. Ironically the images of the worlds most dangerous man being hauled from the embassy were supplied by only one agency, Ruptly, a branch of Russia Today. Without this footage how might this story have been reported?

It appears the news media is choosing not to report much of Assanges ongoing plight. Strange, given he was once feted for his courage and innovation, winning the Sydney Peace Prize and one of Australian journalisms coveted Walkley awards. The case against Assange concerns the criminalisation of journalism at a time when media organisations in his own country are under siege. Federal Police raided the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in June for reporting alleged warcrimes by Australian forces in Afghanistan. This followed search warrants being executed at the home of Murdoch media journalist Annika Smethhurst over a leaked plan to allow government spying on its citizens. The coverage included detailed reporting of detectives rifling through her underwear drawer.

Contrast this with the lack of reportage on some important aspects of the Assange case.

In May, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer visited Assange in Belmarsh Prison producing a damning report which was widely circulated, but surprisingly had little impact.

It was obvious that Mr. Assanges health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years. Most importantly, in addition to physical ailments, Mr Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma.

Mr Melzers report included this extraordinary claim:

In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law. The collective persecution of Julian Assange must end here and now!

How could such a grave statement not have triggered further investigation and commentary other than by independent journalists? Melzers horrific diagnosis involves the life of a western journalist going to a western jail for doing his job.

UN Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer discussing Julian Assange

In July 2019 US Federal District Judge John Koeltl dismissed a DNC lawsuit against Wikileaks, emphasizing the newsworthiness of Wikileaks publishing activities describing them as plainly of the type entitled to the strongest protection that the First Amendment offers.

If WikiLeaks could be held liable for publishing documents concerning the DNCs political financial and voter-engagement strategies simply because the DNC labels them secret and trade secrets, then so could any newspaper or other media outlet, Judge Koeltl

Even today an online search of reportage of this Federal court judgement appears to show an absence by Australias main media outlets such as the ABC, Nine news media and News Corporation. Would it influence the public perception of Julian Assange if more knew a US Judge considered his work to be worthy?

Recently multi-awarding winning journalist Mark Davis gave an eyewitness account refuting claims Assange was reckless and that he carelessly dumped documents endangering the lives of many. Instead he reported the Wikileaks founder took great care to redact and protect innocent people named in the trove of documents released as part of the Afghan war logs. Davis said he considered Assange acted with journalistic integrity.

Mark Davis via @CNLive

Where was the mainstream reportage of the Davis testimony? Social media posts of articles by independent journalists appear to be the most reliable way to keep up with the unfolding Assange story. These are primarily shared within circles of advocates and independent media which limits their reach and sometimes creates questions about their accuracy.

This means the majority of people wont know how shocked veteran Australian journalist John Pilger was after seeing Assange in prison last month. They wont know his health is said to be deteriorating while confined to his single cell for almost 21 hours a day. Nor will they know that he gets just two social visits a month and is denied the opportunity to prepare with his US lawyers for his upcoming extradition trial.

Do not forget Julian #Assange. Or you will lose him.I saw him in Belmarsh prison and his health has deteriorated. Treated worse than a murderer, he is isolated, medicated and denied the tools to fight the bogus charges of a US extradition. I now fear for him. Do not forget him.

John Pilger (@johnpilger) August 7, 2019

John Pilger joined with musician Roger Waters to organise a rally this week in London to honour their friend, calling for the UK government to resist the US extradition request.

About 1000 people gathered in front of the Home Office to listen to an emotional Waters sing his hit song Wish You Were Here. Just as Julian Assange couldnt hear the tribute from his cell at nearby Belmarsh, the majority of people did not hear of this public event.

This evening outside the #UK governments Ministry of the Interior (Home Office) #PinkFloyds @rogerwaters performed his song Wish You Were Here in solidarity with imprisoned journalist and @wikileaks founder #JulianAssange. @telesurenglish #Wikileaks pic.twitter.com/N4PiLq2qUs

Pablo Navarrete (@pablo_telesur) September 2, 2019

The general public will likely miss the plea by Gabriel Shipton, Assanges younger brother, who read a letter at the rally that hed written to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. His concerns about his brothers welfare and the PMs silence, have largely gone unnoticed by mainstream media. More silencing? More forgetting?

Julian Assanges brother delivers statement in support of the whistle-blower pic.twitter.com/V6U5JecnZV

Sputnik (@SputnikInt) September 2, 2019

Gabriel Shipton

On September 7 on Twitter, Julian Assanges name was trending when people started sharing an interview with celebrity and activist Pamela Anderson.

Anderson appeared on the American ABCs long running talk show The View. As she was talked over and drilled for information, the former Baywatch star kept her cool as she schooled her fellow panellists with facts about Assanges case and countered their claims, calling them smear and lies.

Here was a story that combined celebrity and controversy, but it has barely received mention in the Australian press?

At a recent press freedom conference in England, Special Envoy for Media Freedom, Amal Clooney, spoke of the alarm felt by journalists around the world at the Assange US indictments which criminalises common practices in journalism that have long served the public interest. If this is true who are the concerned journalists and why arent we hearing from them?

Not only has the UK government silenced Assange in prison, but the last decade of his life appears to have been censored. Who is steering the narrative in a near vacuum of information and repeated disinformation? Is there are a modern day Ministry of Truth behind the ongoing media blackout of one of the most influential and controversial people of our times?

Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they rebelled they cannot become conscious George Orwell

Continued here:
Is Orwells Ministry Of Truth Alive? Why Dont We Hear ...

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You trust Democracy Now! to bring you the news stories and global headlines you won't find anywhere else. But did you know that Democracy Now! never accepts money from advertisers, corporate underwriters or governments? This allows us to maintain the editorial independence you rely onbut it also means we need your help. If everyone seeing this gave just $4 a month, it would more than cover our expenses for the entire yearand today a donor will DOUBLE your first month. Please do your part. It takes just a couple of minutes to make sure that Democracy Now! is there for you and everybody else. Thank you so much!-Amy Goodman

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Julian Assange | Democracy Now!

When Julian Assange arrived in Sweden in August 2010 he was greeted like a conquering hero.

But within weeks there was a warrant out for his arrest and he was being investigated for rape and sexual molestation.

Until recently he was taking sanctuary in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, arguing he won't receive justice if he's taken to Sweden and that US authorities are building a case for his extradition.

In this program from 2012, Four Corners reporter Andrew Fowler examines in detail what happened in those crucial weeks while Julian Assange was in Sweden. What was the nature of his relationship with the two women who claim he assaulted them? And what did they tell police that led the authorities to seek his arrest?

Both Assange and his supporters believe the attempt by authorities to force his return to Sweden is simply the first step in a plan to see him extradited to the United States.

Four Corners looks at claims the United States is working hard to unearth evidence that would lead to a charge of "conspiracy to commit espionage" being made against Assange - which in turn would be used in his extradition from Sweden.

The program also documents the harassment experienced by Assange's supporters across the globe - including his Australian lawyer - and the FBI's attempts to convince some to give evidence against him.

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Watch more Four Corners investigations here: https://bit.ly/2JbpMkf You can also like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abc4corners/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/4corners And sign up to our newsletter: https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/newsl...

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Link:
Sex, Lies and Julian Assange (2012) | Four Corners

The arrest of Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange on 11 April 2019

Julian Assange, was allegedly investigated by the Eastern District of Virginia grand jury for computer-related crimes committed in the U.S. in 2012. His request for asylum was granted and he remained a resident in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012. In 2019, an indictment from 2017 was made public following the termination of his asylum status and the subsequent arrest by the Metropolitan Police of UK in London.[1] According to the indictment, Assange was accused of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in order to help Chelsea Manning gain access to privileged information which he intended to publish on Wikileaks. This is a less serious charge in comparison to those leveled against Manning, and carries a maximum sentence of five years with a possibility of parole.[2]

Assange was arrested on 11 April 2019 by the London Metropolitan Police for failing to appear in court and now faces possible extradition to the US. His arrest caught media attention, and news of it went viral on social media, especially on Twitter and Facebook as it involved the possibility that the founder of Wikileaks and its editor-in-chief would be brought back to the US to face trial. Since his arrest, opinion on social media[by whom?] has been divided as to whether he should be extradited.[original research?] Some[who?] have argued that this is a necessary because he allegedly broke the law by attempting to hack sensitive material about US government operations. Others[who?] have said that such a move would be a threat to freedom of speech, protected by the First Amendment. Assange himself does not consent to extradition to the US, in an ongoing move to prevent this from happening.[3] On May 23, 2019, a grand jury added 17 espionage charges related to his involvement with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, thus bringing a total of 18 federal charges against Assange in the US.[4][5] On 15 July 2019, documents revealed that Assange had used the Ecuadorian embassy to meddle in the 2016 US Presidential election and had met with Russian and various hackers from around the world to do so.[6]

Assange and some of his friends founded Wikileaks in 2006 and started visiting Europe, Asia, Africa and North America to look for, and publish, secret information concerning companies and governments that they felt should be made public. However, these leaks attracted little interest from law enforcement.[original research?]

In 2010, Assange was contacted by Chelsea Manning, who gave him classified information containing various military operations conducted by the US government abroad. The material included the Baghdad airstrike of 2007, Granai Airstrike of 2009, the Iraq War Logs, Afghan War Diaries, and the Afghan War Logs, among others.[7] Part of these documents were published by Wikileaks and leaked to other major media houses including The Guardian between 2010 and 2011.[8]

Critics of the release included Julia Gillard, then Australian Prime Minister, who said the act was illegal, and the Vice-President of the United States, Joe Biden, who called him a terrorist.[9][10] Others, including Brazilian president Luiz da Silva and Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa supported his actions, while Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said he deserved a Nobel prize for his actions.[11][12] The Manning leaks also led Wikileaks and Julian Assange to receive various accolades and awards,[13] but at the same time attracted police investigations.[citation needed]

Following the 2010 and 2011 Manning leaks, authorities in the US began investigating Assange and Wikileaks. Specifically, the investigations were being done by the Grand Jury in Alexandria, Virginia as of November 2011.[14] Assange broke bail to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning, and became a fugitive. The Australian government distanced itself from Assange.[15]

He then sought and gained political asylum from Ecuador, granted by Rafael Correa, after visiting the country's embassy in London.[16][17][18]

At the same time, an independent investigation by the FBI was going on regarding Assange's release of the Manning documents,[19] and according to court documents dated May 2014, he was still under active and ongoing investigation.[20] A warrant issued to Google by the district court cited several crimes, including espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, theft or conversion of property belonging to the United States government, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and general conspiracy. The indictment continued to remain sealed as of January 2019, although investigations seemed to have intensified as the case neared its statute of limitations.[21]

After Assange's asylum was revoked, the Ambassador of Ecuador to the UK invited the Metropolitan Police into the embassy on 11 April 2019. Following this invitation, Assange was arrested and taken to a central London police station.[22] Assange was carrying Gore Vidal's History of the National Security State during his arrest.[23] The news of the arrest went viral on Twitter and Facebook within minutes of its happening and several media outlets reported it as breaking news. President Moreno is quoted to have referred to Assange as a "spoiled brat" in the wake of the arrest.[24]

Assange was arrested in relation to his indictment in Sweden. Specifically, he was arrested for failing to appear in the UK court, which wanted to extradite him to Sweden to answer to sexual charges which were filed against him in 2012.[25] At a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court a few hours after his arrest, the presiding judge found Assange was guilty of breaching the terms of his bail.[26] On May 1, 2019, Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison.[27]

Opinions are divided on the question of the arrest of Assange.The United Kingdom, a member of Council of Europe, is committed to respecting Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights which provides the right to freedom of expression and information. This is why, several politicians[who?] and associations[who?] consider that the arrest of the whistleblower constitutes an attack on the freedom of expression and international law.[original research?]

The chairman of the Group of the European United LeftNordic Green Left, Tiny Kox, asked to Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, whether the arrest of Julian Assange and possible extradition to the US are in line with the criteria of European Convention on Human Rights, because Julian Assange can benefit from the protection of the right to freedom of expression and information.[28] Eva Joly, magistrate and MEP, states that "the arrest of Julian Assange is an attack on freedom of expression, international law and right to asylum".[29] Sevim Dagdelen, German Bundestag MP, specialized in international law and press law, describes Assange's arrest as "an attack on independent journalism" and says he "is today seriously endangered".[30][31] Dick Marty, a former Attorney General of Ticino and rapporteur on the CIA's secret prisons for the Council of Europe, considers the arrest of whistleblowers "very shocking".[32][33] Christophe Deloire, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders, believes that "targeting Assange [...] would be a strictly punitive measure and would constitute a dangerous precedent for journalists, their sources and whistle-blowers".[34] British Veterans for Peace UK call British government to "respect the rights of journalists and whistle-blowers and refuse to extradite Julian Assange to the US" and expresses concern "that journalism and whistleblowing is being criminalised by the US and actively supported by British authorities".[35] Amnesty International calls on the UK to "refuse to extradite or send in any other manner Julian Assange to the USA where there is a very real risk that he could face human rights violations, including detention conditions that would violate the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment and an unfair trial followed by possible execution, due to his work with Wikileaks."[36]

Ecuadorian president Lenn Moreno, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Hillary Clinton campaign advisor Neera Tanden, and British Prime Minister Theresa May, who commented that "no one is above the law," are in support of the arrest.[37][38] Alternatively, it is has been asserted that such a move would be a threat to freedom of speech as protected by the first amendment to the US Constitution. This view is held by Edward Snowden, Daniel Ellsberg, Rafael Correa, Chelsea Manning, Jeremy Corbyn, Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch, and Glenn Greenwald, who said "it's the criminalization of journalism".[37][39][40][41]

Ecuadorean president Lenn Moreno said in a video posted on Twitter that he "requested Great Britain to guarantee that Mr Assange would not be extradited to a country where he could face torture or the death penalty. The British government has confirmed it in writing, in accordance with its own rules."[42] On 14 April 2019, however, Moreno stated in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian that no other nation influenced his government's decision to revoke Assange's asylum in the embassy and that Assange did in fact use facilities in the embassy "to interfere in processes of other states."[43][44] Moreno also stated "we can not allow our house, the house that opened its doors, to become a centre for spying" and noted that Assange also had poor hygiene.[43][44] Moreno further stated "We never tried to expel Assange, as some political actors want everyone to believe. Given the constant violations of protocols and threats, political asylum became untenable."[43] On 11 April 2019, Moreno described Assange as a "bad mannered" guest who physically assaulted embassy security guards.[45][46]

According to Amnesty International's Massimo Moratti, if extradited to the United States, Assange may face the "risk of serious human rights violations, namely detention conditions, which could violate the prohibition of torture".[47]

Widespread criticism from the news media and other public advocates ensued following Assange's arrest on Espionage charges. Multiple organizations and journalists criticized Assange's arrest as a journalist citing first amendment claims.

Immediately following the arrest of Assange, the Eastern District of Virginia grand jury unsealed the indictment it had brought against him. According to the indictment, Assange was accused of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in order to assist Chelsea Manning gaining access to privileged information which he intended to publish on WikiLeaks. This is a less serious charge than those leveled against Manning, and carries a maximum sentence of five years.[55]

Assange was arrested in April after being pushed out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had been living since 2012, avoiding an international arrest warrant, was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison by a British judge on 1st May 2019.[56]

Judge Deborah Taylor said Assange's time in the embassy had cost British taxpayers the equivalent of nearly $21 million, and that he had sought asylum in a "deliberate attempt to delay justice."

Assange offered a written apology in court, claiming that his actions were a response to terrifying circumstances. He said he had been effectively imprisoned in the embassy; two doctors also provided medical evidence of the mental and physical effects of being confined. To which the judge Deborah Taylor said "You were not living under prison conditions, and you could have left at any time to face due process with the rights and protections which the legal system in this country provides".

On 23 May 2019, Assange was indicted, in a superseding indictment, under the Espionage Act of 1917, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for offences relating to the publication of diplomatic cables and other sensitive information.[57] In the past the Act was used to charge Socialist congressman and newspaper editor Victor L. Berger, Emma Goldman and Eugene V. Debs.[54] The May 23 indictment adds 17 federal charges to the earlier federal indictment, thus bringing a total of 18 federal criminal charges against Assange from the US federal government with a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.[5][58][4][59][60] The charges are related to his involvement with Chelsea Manning, a former US Army intelligence analyst who gave Assange classified information concerning matters surrounding the US Defense Department.[4][5]

On 15 July 2019, CNN obtained documents from an Ecuadorian intelligence official which confirmed that Assange used the embassy as the command center for Wikileaks.[6] The documents also revealed that during the 2016 election, Assange used the embassy to meet with Russians and world class hackers from different countries.[6]

See the article here:
Indictment and arrest of Julian Assange - Wikipedia

Wikileaks has said there are grave concerns for the health of Julian Assange, after the whistleblowing website's founder was moved to the medical wing of the British prison where he is being held.

In a statement on Twitter, Wikileaks said Assanges health had significantly deteriorated and that while inside Londons Belmarsh Prison he had lost weight dramatically.

The decision of prison authorities to move him to the health ward speaks for itself, the statement read. The website has also claimed thatspending seven years inside the Ecuadorian embassy contravened Assanges basic human rights, with the last year designed by U.S. authorities to make his life as hard as possible.

In court today, Assange was too ill to appear via video link for a hearing into his extradition to the United States. Hes in fact far from well, Assanges lawyer, Gareth Peirce, told Westminster Magistrates Court according to Reuters.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrives at court in London on May 1, 2019. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

Last month, after a seven-year standoff with British authorities, Assange was arrested in the U.K. capital for breaching bail conditions set in 2012. In a dramatic end to protracted stalemate a bearded Assange was dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy where he had claimed asylum.

The Australian national ensconced himself within the embassy of the South American country to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges of sexual assault and rape, charges Assange has always denied. The 47-year-old, praised by some as a liberal icon and denounced by others as a dangerous national security risk, is also being sought for extradition to the U.S. on a total of 18 criminal counts.

Assange could face decades in U.S. prison over espionage charges. The Justice Department has said the Wikileaks founder illegally published the identities of classified sources and conspired with former military intelligence analysts.

In a letter to one of his supporters from inside Belmarsh, Assange has complained that he is defenseless and surrounded by murderers.

I have been isolated from all ability to defend myself, Assange wrote to his supporter Gordon Dimmack, according to news.com.au. No laptop, no internet, ever, no computer, no library so far, but even if I do get access it would just be for half an hour with everyone else, he detailed in a catalog of problems.

I am defenseless and counting on you and others of good character to save my life, Assange went on. I am unbroken albeit literally surrounded by murderers but the days where I could read and speak and organize to defend myself and my ideals and my people are over until I am free, he added.

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Julian Assange health: "Grave concerns" for WikiLeaks ...