Thread by @Williamrt

The fourth day of the extradition hearing of Julian Assange at the Old Bailey is due to start today. The court hearing is expected to start at around 10.30 am #Assange

I will post updates here. US lawyer Eric Lewis is due to give evidence for the entire day. You can find more about Eric Lewis here bit.ly/3ig4DTH

The proceedings have been delayed because of an incident with Covid-!9. More to follow. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly twitter.com/Bridges4Media

https://twitter.com/Bridges4Media/status/1303985172774150144

There are only 4 people in the court room

Counsel for the defence Mark Summers QC and Edward Fitzgerald are wearing face masks in court for the first time.#Assange

It looks like there will only be a brief case management hearing today #Assange

Yesterday Trevor Timm, co-founder of the Freedom of the Press Foundation gave evidence on the impact of the conspiracy charges against Assange on the press and jouranlists #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly He said that use of the Espionage Act against Assange "would criminalise every reporter who received a secret document whether they asked for it or not." #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly "My position is that this indictment is clearly unconstitutional. WikiLeaks has a first amendment right to say we would like to receive documents that show illegality,” Timm said. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

“My interest is press freedom,” Timm told the court. “Every single expert witness has some sort of fear that a prosecution of Assange will lead to the prosecution of many other reporters.” #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly James Lewis for he US, asked why Timm, as an unbiased expert, had failed to say in his statement that the US was prosecuting Assange for publishing thousands of documents that identified informants. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Update: Julian Assange is due to appear in the court room shortly #Assanage @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Timm said that he had not based opinions on reading Department of Justice press release but on what is contained in the indictment. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly It emerged that the defence and the prosecution lawyers are at loggerheads over what exactly the Us is charging #Assange with @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly James Lewis, representing the US said that Assange was being charged with publishing unredacted documents that put people's lives at risk #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Assange's defence team argude that the charges go much wider and cover the possession of classified government documents/ #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Some drama in the court room today, as James Lewis counsel for the US dialing in remotely, said he had only half an hour's charge left on his computer but did not have a charger with him #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Joel Smith, for the US also dialing in remotely complains that there is no sound on the remote video. James Lewis says the screen has frozen #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Edward Fitzgerald asks for an adjournment, until the court knows the result of a Covid Test from one the the prosecutions legal team. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Edward Fitzgerald QC for Assange told Judge Baraitser that the hearing should not proceed until the results of the Covid test are known #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly He said tha the court would have to proceed on the basis that there was Covid-19 in the court room. He said there were members of the defence's team that are at high risk and should not be in court. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Members of court staff would also be at risk and Assange would be at risk. The court could carry on with a remote hearing but technical difficulties of that were seen this morning. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly "For us to try and conduct the hearing in a remote way would not be fair," Fitzgerald said. #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Judge Baraitser said that last night one of the barristers in the case might have had exposure to Covid, and as a result the prosecution team and some of the defence team agreed out of caution to attend by remote CVP link #Assange

@ComputerWeekly She said that a Covid test would be carried out today and the results would be known tomorrow. She agreed to a joint application from the defence and prosecution to adjourn the case until Monday #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly US lawyer Eric Lewis will now give testimony on Monday #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly The judge asked both sides to make submissions on how to proceed in the event that the Covid test proved positive #Assange @ComputerWeekly

@ComputerWeekly Thank you to everyone for following and retweeting.

@ComputerWeekly Full report on Trevor Timm, co founder of the Freedom of the Press Foundation's evidence is here: bit.ly/2F8uLlb

@ComputerWeekly Professor Paul Rogers of Bradford University gave evidence yesterday, stating that the case against Assange is political. #Assange @ComputeWeekly

@ComputerWeekly You can read Paul Rogers written submission here. bit.ly/2FjQR3R. #Assange

@ComputerWeekly Assange leaving court this afternoon #Assange