Richard Medhurst Profile picture
Sep 25, 2020 28 tweets 9 min read Read on X
Day 14 of the Julian #Assange extradition hearing begins at the Old Bailey.

Live updates in this thread:
First witness to testify is computer forensics expert Patrick Eller.

Prosecution sent him its bundle in the middle of the night (typical). Judge gives the defense an hour for Eller to go through the documents. #AssangeTrial
While we wait, watch a full video summary of Day 12 & 13 #AssangeTrial

A cornerstone of the prosecution's case is that #Assange allegedly helped @xychelsea Manning crack a password. Eller will testify in regards to this.

justice.gov/opa/press-rele…
Defense requests the judge allocate more time to prepare closing arguments, once again asking for 4 weeks starting from next Friday, when witness testimonies are concluded.

Defense notes the late submission by prosecution of superseding indictment; that #Assange needs more time.
Judge Baraitser agrees to give defense 4 weeks to prepare written closing arguments.

She initially appeared unfavorable to this idea.

As Baraitser noted a few moments ago, this most likely means a decision will not come until early 2021. #AssangeTrial
Defense reads statement from Jakob Augstein, journalist at Der Freitag when it published story on David Leigh's book and Cablegate in 2011.

Augstein confirms cablegate file came from Domscheit-Berg ; Assange called Der Freitag asking them not to publish.

freitag.de/autoren/steffe…
Lots of back and forth on whether Judge will permit new evidence to be submitted by defense regarding prison conditions in US. Baraitser complains she received some witness statements at 11pm a few nights ago. (Yet she accepts an entire superseding indictment past deadline?)
This is huge because the defense wanted testimony from 2 witnesses, one of them a psychologist, working directly in US Bureau of Prisons with first-hand knowledge of conditions that #Assange would be subject to. She refuses and moves on.
Patrick Eller's testimony begins.
A bit more on Eller's credentials. He is an expert in computer forensics with 20 years of military experience, master’s degree in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigations, ran a global digital forensics program for the US Army.
Several bombshell points from Eller:

-Convo between #Assange & Manning not necessarily about gov. computer
-Chelsea used a local account, no access to wider network
-Even if pw was cracked, no access to ROE files
-She had already sent most files to JA before pw cracking convo(!)
Encryption key was missing, so cracking password using the partial hash in chat log would not work. Even if successful, it would've only unlocked password to "ftp user" – which did not have access to T-Drive.
Defense establishes with Eller that even if pw to FTP account was hypothetically obtained, Manning's IP address would've still been traceable, compromising her ID. She already knew of ways to stay anonymous (booting from a CD with a Linux live image).
This above point is important to note because the jabber chat between Manning and Assange, where they talk about cracking the pw, is cited by the US as evidence of conspiracy and attempt to cover tracks. This doesn't hold up– she already knew how to copy files undetected.
.@Snowden briefly talking about this in 2019
Prosecution begins cross-examination of Eller.
Lewis wants Eller to concede Manning could've cracked the LM hash because of weaknesses still present up until 2016.

Eller corrects him, stating vulnerabilities were patched all the way back in 1999 by Microsoft. Impossible for Manning to crack with bruteforce.
Eller asserts that he believes defense's argument that it was commonplace for soldiers to bypass security on machines without admin privileges in order to download music and install games.
Court is adjourned for lunch.
Court resumes from lunch.

Eller being re-examined by defense.

Eller concedes that we can’t establish if alias “Nathaniel Frank” is certainly Assange. Eller maintains that the password could not have been cracked using the hash value.
Defense asks Eller how many people he estimates have access to SIPREnet (classified DoD network). Eller: "somewhere in the millions".

To paraphrase Ellsberg, they don't even bother covering up the war crimes anymore, almost anyone can access them.

Once again going over the FTP access being pointless since Manning could've just booted from a linux live CD to hide her tracks. Moreover IP address would've still incriminated someone using FTP. So this entire allegation about conspiring to crack pw to obtain ftp access is moot.
Eller's testimony is concluded.
Discussion regarding the disclosure of #Assange's medical reports to the press. Both prosecution and defense in agreement there's no need and would breach privacy; burden is on the press to argue why it should be disclosed.
If I may add my two cents, I think more than enough was disclosed.

The whole point of bringing up #Assange's medical history is to argue against extradition under s.91 of the Extradition Act. Not for click bait, sensationalism and further stigmatization of mental illness by MSM.
Court is adjourned until Monday.

I will be going live shortly to give a full summary of today's #Assange hearing: youtube.com/richardmedhurst

Thank you for supporting independent journalism:
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paypal.com/papichulomin

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More from @richimedhurst

Dec 20
While Germans are being attacked at a Christmas market, their diplomats are in Damascus establishing ties with a man who carried out countless attacks like this as a senior commander in ISIS and Al Qaeda. But the media are whitewashing him because Al Qaeda and ISIS are assets of Western intelligence. They don't care who is in power as long as they can take Syria's land, control its resources, and protect Zionism.
Ironically, both the attacker in Germany and Jolani are from Saudi Arabia. Which is where Wahhabism, the extremist ideology that Al Qaeda and ISIS are based on, also comes. The Saudis continue to export this sectarian ideology with the full knowledge and support of the West.
Wahabism shares many similarities with Zionism. Its followers are sectarian; believe the Levant belongs to them; that killing is acceptable; that those who do not practice their faith, or who practice it slightly differently are goyim/kuffar (subhumans/infidels); Natural allies.
Read 4 tweets
Sep 19
The deadliest terrorist attack in history against British subjects was carried out by Zionists.

Never forget this fact.

Menachem Begin, responsible for the King David Hotel bombing, even became Israeli Prime Minister because Israeli society rewards violence.
In 2006, the Israelis unveiled a plaque at the site of the King David Hotel to commemorate the attack.

A bit like if Al Qaeda would unveil a commemorative plaque at the site of the Twin Towers.

Netanyahu attended this celebration of terrorism.
The plaque even blamed the victims for not evacuating fast enough. The same way Israelis think you deserve to die for not leaving quickly enough after a roof knock.

It was so offensive the British govt officially protested & the Israelis changed the text— but only in English, not Hebrew.
Read 4 tweets
Aug 24
Police: you have the right to tell someone you've been arrested

Me: yes, I'd like to do that

Police: Due to the nature of the alleged offense your calls are withheld

Me: but you just said I have the right to inform someone

Police: the right can be waived

Lol. Basically "shut your mouth, you have no rights". This is what their idea of "'counterterrorism" means and what laws like this lead to.
Another great exchange:

Police: you have the right to know why you've been arrested

Me: yes, can you please tell me why. What is section 12 and what "prescribed orgs"? What is being alleged?

Police: we're just the arresting officers / you'll be told when you're questioned
Imagine you're taken off a plane for fucking "terrorism" and this is all the info you're left to go off of lol.

Go sit in the urine-smelling cell in solitary, where we film and record you sleeping, eating, peeing. And wait around for 15 hours until we decide to enlighten you with what it is we claim you've done wrong.
Read 5 tweets
Aug 10
Unfortunately, it seems we were not successful at denazifying Germans like this one
Schools could indeed lose their status as protected civilian objects if used for military purposes— but the civilians inside do not. You cannot justify murdering over 100 people in order to kill 19, who are not even in Hamas. The israelis just publish random photos and names:

Read 4 tweets
Aug 10
Yes, precisely. A ceasefire is just the first step. Then the settlers must return to their countries and hand over the land. All of it. We will accept nothing less. The fact that a ceasefire is so controversial and difficult for the West shows they are hell-bent on murder.
No Arabs were involved in the negotiation of a Partition Plan for Palestine. It was imposed. Then when the Palestinians signed Oslo, they got stabbed in the back and Israel said "no two state solution". Fine, but that goes both ways. When you annul a contract the other party is also released from it.
Read 4 tweets
Aug 7
BREAKING: CCTV footage of Israeli soldiers gang-raping a Palestinian hostage at Sde Teiman published by Israel's Ch12

The soldiers put up their riot shields to hide their actions from the camera.
(auto-translation to English)
This is the same victim that was hospitalized over a week ago with a ruptured bowel, a severe injury to the anus, lung damage and broken ribs.

According to Israeli media the victim is not a Hamas militant and did not participate in Oct 7. They were kidnapped in March.
Read 5 tweets

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