It is day 13 of legal the extradition hearing against Julian Assange at the Old Bailey. Today we expect to hear medical experts for the prosecution. ##Assange
Here is a recap of the evidence given my medical experts for the defence. Assange's defence team will rely on the legal precedents set by Lauri Love and Gary McKinnon to argue against extradition. bit.ly/3mLuzJp@ComputerWeekly#Assange#AssangeTrial
@ComputerWeekly This is a useful legal analysis of the precedent set by Lauri Love in his extradition case. The High Court found that given Love's diagnosed mental health conditions it would be oppressive to extradite him to a US prison. bit.ly/3mMAL3V
@ComputerWeekly We have heard evidence from prosecution witness Dr Nigel Blackwood. He agreed that Assange had a history of recurring depression but did agree that it was severe #Assange#AssangeTrial
@ComputerWeekly Edward Fitzgerald QC for Assange questioned why Blackwood had relied on evidence by US prosecutor Gordon Kromberg that there was no solitary confinement in the US prison were Assange would be held. #Assange#AssangeTrial
@ComputerWeekly Fitzgerald said: "You did not think it necessary and fair to report that this highly controversial statement, that we say is incorrect, was open to question." #Assange#AssangeTrial
@ComputerWeekly Blackwood said: I am saying [Assange's] current mental condition, moderate depression, does not remove his ability to resist impulse to suicide #Assange#AssangeTrial
@ComputerWeekly Edward Fitzgerald QC questioned Blackwood why he had not spoken to a psychiatrist at Belmarsh that Assange had opened-up to. #Assange
@ComputerWeekly Fitzgerald said that Assange had made repeated calls to the Samaritans. Blackwood said: "That speaks to something he values" but said prison notes also refer to him feeling fine and chatting. #Assange
@ComputerWeekly Crosby gave evidence on her medical assessments after visits to Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy and at Belmarsh prison #Assange
@ComputerWeekly She said that at the Ecuadorian Embassy, Assange had psychological trauma and was in poor physical health. #Assange
@ComputerWeekly Crosby visited Assagne at Belmash in October 2019. She said "I felt his risk of suicide was very high." Assange told her that the trigger would be extradition to the US where he felt his life would be intolerable. #Assange#AssangeTrial
1/ One of the world’s most prestigious general science journals, Nature, was the target of a two-year-long sustained and virulent secret attack by a conspiratorial group of extreme Brexit lobbyists with high-level political, commercial and intelligence connections.
2/ The group attempted to have Nature and its staff put under surveillance and investigated by MI5, MI6, the CIA, Mossad, and Japanese and Australian intelligence agencies. They met cabinet minister Michael Gove and asked him to arrange phone taps and electronic surveillance.
3. They called themselves the “Covid Hunters”. Their allegations against science reporting helped fuel an explosion in “lab leak” claims on right-wing conspiracy sites. They pushed their “extraordinary, true story” to a top Hollywood producer in 2020.
Breaking: The high court has granted the US leave to appeal the decision not to extradite #Assange on two further grounds of appeal. This includes challenging the use of evidence from defence expert Professor Matthew Kopelman over Assange's risk of suicide if extradited.
The High Court overturned a decision by Justice Jonathan Swift to reject 2 out 5 grounds of appeal put forward by the US government #Assange
Lord Justice Holroyde and Justice Farbey found the US had an arguable case that Kopelman did not act in accordance with his duty as an expert witness by omitting to disclose #Assange's relationship with his partner Stela Moris and their two children in his first report.
Today the US will begin the process of appealing against the UK court's decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. The preliminary hearing is due to start at 10:30. I am reporting on the case by remote video link. I will post updates here. #Assange
This story summarises the main issues that are expected to be raised today.
The US is arguing for permission to challenge the evidence of medical expert, Michael Kopelman, head of neurospychiatry at King's College London in the Court of Appeal. Kopelman found that Assange had autism, recurring depression, and was at high risk of suicide if extradited.
Around 1600 Belgium police raided 200 premises this morning in one of the largest police operations the country has undertaken. Belgian police have refused to confirm or deny whether the raids are linked with the compromise of the secure phone network @SkyECCofficial#Encrochat
The raids took place between 0500 and 11 am this morning. More than 10 people have been arrested. @SkyECCofficial#Encrochat
Belgium police say it will take months to evaluate the information seized during the raids. @SkyECCofficial#Encrochat
Victory for journalists, press freedom after tribunal finds there is no reason to bar people from using the UK's freedom of information act simply because they are not in the UK. @SMaurizi@estelledehon@EmmanFre@benjameslucas
The decision comes after the First-Tier tribunal stayed 16 Freedom of Information by appeals by journalists and ordinary people, because they were either not UK citizens, or had UK nationality but were living abroad. @SMaurizi@estelledehon@EmmanFre@benjameslucas#FOIA
Today's decision means that the Freedom of Information Act will continue to operate as it always has done for the past 15 years. It is open to any person regardless of nationality or place of residence.@SMaurizi@estelledehon@EmmanFre@benjameslucas#FOIA
Good morning. Today a court will decide whether Julian Assange should be released on bail from Belmarsh Prison, following the decision by Westminster Magistrate's court not to extradite him to the US on espionage charges. #Assange#Assangetrail