Julian Assange – newest: Wikileaks founder misses first day of extradition hearing

Assange has been restricted in his actions for nearly 14 years.

It began when Swedish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Assange in 2010 as they investigating an allegation of rape towards him whereas he was within the nation – and requested the UK to extradite Assange.

Assange was arrested by British police and after he misplaced an attraction towards extradition he sought asylum within the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, claiming the Swedish case would lead him to being despatched to the US.

Assange spent seven years within the embassy earlier than in 2019 he was detained by police once more for breaching bail situations linked to his arrest for the Swedish case. In the identical yr, Swedish authorities dropped their case towards Assange.

Assange was given a 50-week jail sentence – and has remained at Belmarsh jail since, preventing his extradition to the US.

The first day of the hearing on the Royal Courts of Justice was attended by dozens of journalists and members of the general public, with scores of supporters of Assange gathering outdoors the central London courthouse from 8am.

Addressing the group forward of the hearing, Assange’s spouse Stella Assange mentioned: “We don’t know what to expect, but you’re here because the world is watching.

“They just cannot get away with this.

“Julian needs his freedom and we all need the truth.”

The WikiLeaks founder faces extradition to the US over an alleged conspiracy to acquire and disclose nationwide defence info.

Here is a timeline of some key dates spanning greater than a decade of authorized woes for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

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Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, took to the stage during the lunch break to reflect on the morning’s proceedings.

He mentioned he had been despatched to an overflow room, together with many journalists, who missed elements of the morning’s proceedings attributable to an inadequate audio feed.

“If this is how you practise open justice, then I don’t have much faith in the court system here. It is absurd that journalists are not able to observe one of the most important cases for journalists in modern times,” he mentioned.

He added that the case had been put in a single of the smallest courtroom rooms within the constructing.

“How on earth is that possible with all the massive interest in this case? What are they trying to hide?” Mr Hrafnsson mentioned.

The High Court was informed that the US had deliberate to kill or kidnap Julian Assange.

Mark Summers KC, for the WikiLeaks founder, mentioned: “What the evidence now shows is that the US developed a plan to try to either kill or rendition Mr Assange to the USA.

“What evidence the district judge heard on that came from protected witness two and it was truly breathtaking.”

Mr Summers mentioned there was a plan to kidnap or poison Assange within the Ecuadorian embassy in London, the place he remained for round seven years.

He continued: “With respect to the district judge, there were red flags everywhere.”

The barrister later mentioned the plan “only fell apart when the UK authorities weren’t very keen on the thought of rendition, or a shootout, in the streets of London”.

During the first day of the hearing on Tuesday, Mark Summers KC argued the US prosecution of Assange can be retribution for his political beliefs, that means it might be illegal to extradite him beneath UK legislation.

The barrister mentioned: “This is a paradigm example of state retaliation for the expression of political opinion.

“The district judge did not address it, had she done so, it would have been fatal to her decision.”

In written submissions, Mr Summers and Edward Fitzgerald KC, additionally for Assange, added: “The evidence showed that the US was prepared to go to any lengths, including misusing its own criminal justice system, to sustain impunity for US officials in respect of the torture/war crimes committed in its infamous ‘war on terror’, and to suppress those actors and courts willing and prepared to try to bring those crimes to account.

“Mr Assange was one of those targets.”

Protesters have gathered outdoors the High Court in London in help of Julian Assange because the WikiLeaks founder began his final-ditch bid to keep away from extradition to the US.

The 52-yr-outdated is making a final-ditch attraction on the two-day hearing towards being to the US, the place he faces costs for conspiracy to acquire and disclose nationwide defence info after the publication of intelligence recordsdata on WikiLeaks.

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Seven years in the past, Julian Assange stood outdoors the Ecuadorian embassy and greeted his supporters with a fist within the air – he couldn’t have thought a protracted authorized battle towards extradition to the US would have continued till this week.

The 52-yr-outdated Australian was on the embassy in London searching for asylum as Swedish authorities wished to talk to him over a rape allegation which was later dropped.

Read the total explainer from Lydia Patrick and Alex Ross right here:

Welcome to our reside protection of Julian Assange’s closing bid in an try and safe a UK attraction towards his extradition to the US.

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