I have joined the court video stream for day 16 of witness evidence in Julian Assange's extradition. Witnesses will be giving evidence until the end of the week. I will give updates in this thread in between taking notes. @ComputerWeekly#Assange
@ComputerWeekly Former US prison warden Maureen Baird is to give evidence for the defence shortly #Assange
@ComputerWeekly Yesterday the court heard evidence that contrary to assertions by US prosecutors, Assange would be held in solitary confinement in the US bit.ly/3jbXeoI#Assange
@ComputerWeekly Baird gave evidence about the treatment of prisoners under Special Administrative Measures (SAMs). She experienced this first hand as governor of the Metropolitan Correction Centre (MCC).# Assange
@ComputerWeekly Baird:"Everything I have read form the US attorney's report suggests that SAMs will be place on [Assange]" for national security reasons. #Assange
@ComputerWeekly Baird said that inmates under SAMs are kept in their cells for 23 to 24 hours a day and have no communication with other inmates. #Assange
@ComputerWeekly Baird was warden of the Metropolitan Correction Centre (MCC) in New York from 2014 to 2016 #Assange
@ComputerWeekly She said that SAMS inmates had the opportunity to leave their cell for an hour and go into an empty cell, called the recreation cell. "It was just an empty cell". She brought in an exercise bike. #Assange
@ComputerWeekly Hearing breaks for lunch. Edward Fitzgerald said he will apply to judge Baraitser for three witnesses to be considered as anonymous witnesses. #Assange
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