Thread by @JuanLPassarelli

Back at court for day 9 of #JulianAssange's hearing. We were welcomed by our virtual host, a jolly lady from the tech department who had her computer on her lap and seemed to be very comfy in her living room.

Political observers still don't have access.

#AssangeCase
Thread:

Baraitser enters the court. Fitzgerald says that the witness today is Nicky Hager, investigative journalist from New Zealand.
#AssangeCase

The Oath, the oath, the oath, "nothing but the truth".... I haven't many a place where the truth is bended, twisted and perverted so much as the prosecution does in this court.
#AssangeCase

Hager: There are subjects that are so secret in nature, that we cannot write them for the public unless we don't have confidential sources. This is essential for journalism.

Hager: Whenever I have published information that brings accusations that may harm the individuals or national security, they are always overstated and I find that the information passes on to be part of the common knowledge of the understanding of the subject.
#AssangeCase

Hager: I frequently receive leaked materials, I am accustomed to evaluating the public interest of the information. The documents that WikiLeaks released are some of the most important public interest documents I have seen in my life.
#AssangeCase

Hager: Collateral Murder is the equivalent of the publication of the video of George Floyd and the phrases "look at those dead bastards. Nice." became as important as the phrase "I can't breathe" is to the public today.
#AssangeCase

Lewis starts: You spend a lot of time on the Collateral Murder video in your statement when he hasn't been charged.
Hager: Because the information in the entire trove affect the world as a whole.
#AssangeCase

Lewis: Have you ever paid to steal government information.
Hager: No, are we getting closer to the things that I will say yes.
#AssangeCase

Hager: Your questions are based on a misunderstanding on the work of I do. The word that I want to talk about is passively. This is not how it works. We don't only work with our sources, we encourage our sources to give us information. In most cases they're breaking the law.

Lewis: Stopped Hager. Please be brief. Let me ask you a hypothetical question. Would a journalist publish a name of a person who we be put you in who would be put in harm's way.
Hagar: No, of course not, but... Stopped by Lewis... Can I speak please. Leiws: no you have answered.

Lewis referring to joint press statement about the Cablegate publication in full without redactions.
Hager: I am aware that they were published by a third party and only then published by WikiLeaks.
#AssangeCase

Lewis refers to the @davidleighx's book passage of "informants should be killed" allegedly said in a dinner.
John Goetz was prevented to talk about that dinner and that #Assange did not say that.
#AssangeCase

Hager: I am aware that there was a great deal of animosity between #JulianAssange and @davidleighx, I would take anything that he says on the subject with a pinch of salt.
#AssangeCase

Lewis is finished.

Fitzgerald: Do you understand that he's being charged for obtaining and receiving the documents.
#AssangeCase

Fitzgerald: You explained that you work with sources. Is a source is the person who provides information to you.
Hager: yes
Fitzgerald: so that is the person you say that you have a duty to protect.
Hager: correct, yes.

Hager: @wikileaks invited me to a process into there was great care in redactions. I don't believe that #JulianAssange would have changed their minds. And this process which took place for 9 months, was not a waste. It gave the State Department time to notify its sources.

Hager: I understand that the publication of the password lead to someone finding an encrypted file that could not be retrieved from the internet and some people were able to open the file and thought that it was, for their own reasons, OK to publish.
#AssangeCAse

Fitzgerald: That password was in @davidleighx's book is that correct.
Hager: Yes, that's correct.
Fitzgerald: Would you have published it?
Hager: If I was writing a book, no I wouldn't include it.

"David Leigh is not a reliable source and I wouldn't use him as a source in a book under the circumstances" responds Nicky Hager in response to claims Assange was flippant about informants safety.
#AssangeCase

Hager: I included the rules of engagement alongside the Collateral Murder at the request of the defence I was happy to do so as I saw there was a link.
#AssangeCase

It appears that Khalid El-Masri will be giving evidence to court. It will be limited to what is relevant to the court. The court rests for 30 minutes while the interpreter gets there.
#AssangeCase

The statement of Jennifer Robinson is being read concerning US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher visiting #Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy who were sent to represent Trump. They discussed that the source of the DNC's source would be of value of Trump.

Rohrabacher discussed a proposal was "a win-win", in exchange for the source of the DNC source they would examine a way for #Assange not to be prosecuted. Rohrabacher said he would fly back to discuss with Trump the details. Mr. #Assange didn't give him any information.

Lewis: We don't challenge this information, but we challenge the truth of it.
#AssangeCase

Summers: Mr. El-Marsi is in good faith trying to connect, but he is not a terribly technical person. I spoke to him on zoom and I'm sorry that the court's system is not easier to use. The CPS is trying to help him but there are technical problems.

Baraitser: Mr. Summers are you asking me to find that the US put pressure on the German Government.
Summer: Yes.
Baraitser: It is highly unlikely that I will do that. I will read the cables if you like.

Defense just wants the judge to acknowledge that this is what the Wikileaks cables reveals, not necessarily whether this is what happened or not, although this is what the Strausberg court acknowledged

Judge: I don't think there's dispute that that is what is in the cables.

Prosec: We don't agree that that's what the Strasberg court said

Assange: I will not accept that!

#JulianAssange said Madam I will not accept you censoring a torture victim's statement to this court.

This is the most important phrase that I have heard in this shambolic hearing! And it comes from the man behind a bulletproof glass box who is not allowed to talk.

El-Masri's written statement was read, I missed it because I ran to court to get video statements from observers. But in essence he was denied the only chance he's had to testify before a US government representative about his kidnapping and torture by the @CIA. Statements soon.