Thread by @Dr_LCorredor

This is outrageous ‼ The #UK is #blocking a Spanish Judge from getting testimony from #Assange - re: the US SPYING on him while at Embassy- to #protect the #US #extradition case from being #thrown out of Court

ILLEGAL
UNCONSCIONABLE
DISGRACEFUL @cpsuk

elpais.com/elpais/2019/10…

1/ "The British justice system is blocking a Spanish judge’s request to question Julian Assange in London as a witness in a case exploring allegations that the Spanish security firm Undercover Global S.L. spied on the WikiLeaks founder while he was living in d Ecuadorian embassy"

2/ "The British position, unprecedented in these types of requests for judicial collaboration, is being viewed by Spanish judicial bodies as a show of resistance against the consequences that the case could have on the process to extradite the Australian cyberactivist to the US."

3/ "On Sept. 25, Judge José de la Mata sent British authorities an European Investigation Order (EIO) requesting permission to question #Assange by videoconference as a witness in the case opened by Spain’s High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, against the owner of UC Global S. L."

4/ "Assange by videoconference as a witness in the case opened by Spain’s High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, against the owner of UC Global S. L., David Morales, for alleged offenses involving violations of privacy & client-attorney privileges, and misappropriation, bribery" etc

5/ "Documents and video footage revealed by EL PAÍS show that UC Global S. L. #spied on Assange’s #meetings with his #lawyers, where his legal defense strategy was discussed. Morales allegedly offered recordings of these and other conversations to #US #Intelligence services."

6/ "With an #EIO, a legal authority from an EU member state can ask a legal authority from another EU country for assistance in obtaining evidence or means of evidence (witness statements, telephone taps, DNA tests, etc)... #requests can only be #rejected in #exceptional cases."

7/ "But the United Kingdom Central Authority (@ukca), the body in charge of processing & responding to EIOs, has provisionally #denied De la Mata’s #request to question #Assange & asked for more details."

Clearly stalling the inevitable process. Gets better ☹

8/ "Rashid Begun, who signed the response from the UKCA, argued that “these types of interview are only done by the police” in Britain & that videoconferencing is not #available to hear witness statements. He added that the events described by the Spanish judge are “unclear”. WTH

9/ "On October 14, De la Mata sent the British agency a written reply that EL PAÍS has had access to. In the document, the judge expressed his #surprise and referred to the “previous cases” in which the UKCA #accepted requests for interviews via #videoconference."
Good on Judge👍

10/ "(Spanish Judge) De la Mata also quoted international cooperation treaties that say that the #only #obstacle in these (EIO) cases would be if the person being questioned was the accused.

“In this case, #JulianAssange is a #WITNESS, not an accused party,” wrote De la Mata."

11/ "De la Mata added the suspect (David Morales) is Spanish, the victim (Assange) has filed a complaint & the crimes (unlawful disclosure of secrets & bribery) are crimes in the UK.
“requisites outlined in the law to assign jurisdiction to Spanish judicial bodies are fully met.”

12/ GR8 REBUTTAL by SPAIN 👏

"Spanish legal sources have not concealed their discontent with the response by UKCA and highlighted that, in the EIOs they process, a country’s jurisdiction is not questioned, nor are hurdles placed for taking witness statements by videoconference."