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Supporters of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange protest outside London's Old Bailey court as his fight against extradition to the U.S. has resumed, on September 7, 2020, in London, England. Assange has been in Belmarsh Prison for 16 months and is wanted over the publication of classified documents in 2010 and 2011. If convicted in the US, he faces a possible penalty of 175 years in jail. (Photo: Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images)
'This is Not Normal': Human Rights, Press Freedom Advocates Denied Remote Access to Assange Hearing
The WikiLeaks founder, who exposed U.S. war crimes, faces up to 175 years in prison if the U.K. agrees to extradite Assange.
Sep 07, 2020
Human rights and press freedom advocates cried foul early Monday morning after they were denied remote access to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing taking place in the United Kingdom.
"This is not normal," said Marie Struthers, director of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office of Amnesty Eastern Europe & Central Asia, in a video interview outside the court proceedings.
Struthers said the human rights group was "shocked to find out that our court observer has been denied access to the court online ... we conduct trial monitoring all over the world, week in, week out."
"Amnesty is almost always granted access to monitor court cases around the world," Struthers added. "For our legal observer to find out this morning that he has not been granted even remote access to the Assange proceedings is an outrage."
Amnesty had previously been granted remote access but was notified Monday morning, Struthers said, that the access was revoked because the group did not submit a required letter to the judge presiding over the trial.
She said they submitted the letter Monday morning, and that she "fully expects" they will be granted access going forward.
Meanwhile, critics--including NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden--condemned the U.S. effort to extradite Assange as a clear and present attack on press freedoms.
\u201cThe extradition of Julian Assange is a malicious prosecution by any standard. Even critics of the man ought to condemn this as a show trial. The "crime" in question is the greatest public service @Wikileaks ever performed: exposing Iraq-era abuses.\n\nDrop the charges. #FreeAssange\u201d— Edward Snowden (@Edward Snowden) 1599490701
\u201cThe greatest threat to press freedom since 2016 -- the ongoing attempt by DOJ to extradite Assange in connection with publishing documents -- is underway in the UK, and US journalists who spent 4 years flamboyantly depicting themselves as free press warriors are largely silent:\u201d— Glenn Greenwald (@Glenn Greenwald) 1599480524
PEN Norway was also reportedly denied access to the Monday morning proceedings.
\u201c.@englishpen & @PEN_Norway are among the numerous NGOs whose access to observe Julian Assange's hearing remotely was revoked earlier today. @pen_int\u201d— English PEN (@English PEN) 1599473953
According to Shadowproof's Kevin Gosztola, who covered the trial from inside the courtroom:
Assange is accused of 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act and one count of violating a computer crime law that, as alleged in the indictment, is also an Espionage Act offense.
The trial portion of Assange's extradition hearing in London began on September 7 at the Old Bailey Courthouse. It is expected to unfold over the next three to four weeks.
As of this writing, Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected a request by Assange's lawyers to delay his extradition hearing until next year to give his lawyers more time to respond to U.S. allegations that he conspired with hackers to obtain classified information.
Asked at one point by the prosecution if he was "prepared to consent to be extradited," Assange reportedly answered: "No."
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Human rights and press freedom advocates cried foul early Monday morning after they were denied remote access to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing taking place in the United Kingdom.
"This is not normal," said Marie Struthers, director of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office of Amnesty Eastern Europe & Central Asia, in a video interview outside the court proceedings.
Struthers said the human rights group was "shocked to find out that our court observer has been denied access to the court online ... we conduct trial monitoring all over the world, week in, week out."
"Amnesty is almost always granted access to monitor court cases around the world," Struthers added. "For our legal observer to find out this morning that he has not been granted even remote access to the Assange proceedings is an outrage."
Amnesty had previously been granted remote access but was notified Monday morning, Struthers said, that the access was revoked because the group did not submit a required letter to the judge presiding over the trial.
She said they submitted the letter Monday morning, and that she "fully expects" they will be granted access going forward.
Meanwhile, critics--including NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden--condemned the U.S. effort to extradite Assange as a clear and present attack on press freedoms.
\u201cThe extradition of Julian Assange is a malicious prosecution by any standard. Even critics of the man ought to condemn this as a show trial. The "crime" in question is the greatest public service @Wikileaks ever performed: exposing Iraq-era abuses.\n\nDrop the charges. #FreeAssange\u201d— Edward Snowden (@Edward Snowden) 1599490701
\u201cThe greatest threat to press freedom since 2016 -- the ongoing attempt by DOJ to extradite Assange in connection with publishing documents -- is underway in the UK, and US journalists who spent 4 years flamboyantly depicting themselves as free press warriors are largely silent:\u201d— Glenn Greenwald (@Glenn Greenwald) 1599480524
PEN Norway was also reportedly denied access to the Monday morning proceedings.
\u201c.@englishpen & @PEN_Norway are among the numerous NGOs whose access to observe Julian Assange's hearing remotely was revoked earlier today. @pen_int\u201d— English PEN (@English PEN) 1599473953
According to Shadowproof's Kevin Gosztola, who covered the trial from inside the courtroom:
Assange is accused of 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act and one count of violating a computer crime law that, as alleged in the indictment, is also an Espionage Act offense.
The trial portion of Assange's extradition hearing in London began on September 7 at the Old Bailey Courthouse. It is expected to unfold over the next three to four weeks.
As of this writing, Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected a request by Assange's lawyers to delay his extradition hearing until next year to give his lawyers more time to respond to U.S. allegations that he conspired with hackers to obtain classified information.
Asked at one point by the prosecution if he was "prepared to consent to be extradited," Assange reportedly answered: "No."
Human rights and press freedom advocates cried foul early Monday morning after they were denied remote access to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing taking place in the United Kingdom.
"This is not normal," said Marie Struthers, director of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office of Amnesty Eastern Europe & Central Asia, in a video interview outside the court proceedings.
Struthers said the human rights group was "shocked to find out that our court observer has been denied access to the court online ... we conduct trial monitoring all over the world, week in, week out."
"Amnesty is almost always granted access to monitor court cases around the world," Struthers added. "For our legal observer to find out this morning that he has not been granted even remote access to the Assange proceedings is an outrage."
Amnesty had previously been granted remote access but was notified Monday morning, Struthers said, that the access was revoked because the group did not submit a required letter to the judge presiding over the trial.
She said they submitted the letter Monday morning, and that she "fully expects" they will be granted access going forward.
Meanwhile, critics--including NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden--condemned the U.S. effort to extradite Assange as a clear and present attack on press freedoms.
\u201cThe extradition of Julian Assange is a malicious prosecution by any standard. Even critics of the man ought to condemn this as a show trial. The "crime" in question is the greatest public service @Wikileaks ever performed: exposing Iraq-era abuses.\n\nDrop the charges. #FreeAssange\u201d— Edward Snowden (@Edward Snowden) 1599490701
\u201cThe greatest threat to press freedom since 2016 -- the ongoing attempt by DOJ to extradite Assange in connection with publishing documents -- is underway in the UK, and US journalists who spent 4 years flamboyantly depicting themselves as free press warriors are largely silent:\u201d— Glenn Greenwald (@Glenn Greenwald) 1599480524
PEN Norway was also reportedly denied access to the Monday morning proceedings.
\u201c.@englishpen & @PEN_Norway are among the numerous NGOs whose access to observe Julian Assange's hearing remotely was revoked earlier today. @pen_int\u201d— English PEN (@English PEN) 1599473953
According to Shadowproof's Kevin Gosztola, who covered the trial from inside the courtroom:
Assange is accused of 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act and one count of violating a computer crime law that, as alleged in the indictment, is also an Espionage Act offense.
The trial portion of Assange's extradition hearing in London began on September 7 at the Old Bailey Courthouse. It is expected to unfold over the next three to four weeks.
As of this writing, Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected a request by Assange's lawyers to delay his extradition hearing until next year to give his lawyers more time to respond to U.S. allegations that he conspired with hackers to obtain classified information.
Asked at one point by the prosecution if he was "prepared to consent to be extradited," Assange reportedly answered: "No."
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