Kevin Gosztola Profile picture
Sep 30, 2020 50 tweets 17 min read Read on X
We have only a few more days of witness testimony in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition trial.

I'll have live updates on Day 17 in this thread. #AssangeTrial
Yesterday, attorney Lindsay Lewis, who represented Mostafa Kamel Mostafa in high-profile extradition case, warned against US government's "unreliable assurances" in that case. She contended officials are misleading British court again. dissenter.substack.com/p/assange-tria… #AssangeTrial
Lewis outlined abuse Mostafa has suffered in ADX Florence under SAMs, despite his poor health and physical disabilities.

"There is no reason to conclude that SAMs imposed on Mr. Assange would be any less arbitrary, oppressive, or difficult to challenge..." #AssangeTrial
Proceedings begin with statement from journalist Patrick Cockburn, who is a Middle East correspondent for The Independent #AssangeTrial
Summers: Cockburn was in Kabul, Afghanistan, "when first heard about WikiLeaks revelations which confirmed much of what he and others had suspected," that civilians were being killed in large numbers. #AssangeTrial
We have several statements this morning, and I will do my best to share tidbits. But for fuller details, I will have to go back after. #AssangeTrial
Statement from Ian Cobain, a journalist who reported on US rendition and torture and the complicity of Britain in those operations, is read to the court. #AssangeTrial
Statement from Stefania Maurizi, Italian investigative journalist, on her reporting on Assange, WikiLeaks, and her visits to the Ecuador embassy is read in court. #AssangeTrial
Maurizi established joint agreement with L’Espresso on US diplomatic cables from Italy. She was given access to "portion of the cables." #AssangeTrial
Summers reads details from Maurizi's statement involving the CIA rendition and torture of Abu Omar. There was relentless pressure from US government on Italian prosecutors in order to thwart justice. Cables helped her expose key details. #AssangeTrial
Maurizi described "cautious process" of redaction. For example, she would mark a name with 12 Xs so the "number of letters didn't provide a clue." Only then, WikiLeaks would publish redacted version having been guided by media partners with local sensitivities. #AssangeTrial
Describing the security WikiLeaks employed, Maurizi said it was "first time ever worked in any publishing enterprise involving strict procedures of this kind." More strict security than stories on the Italian mafia. #AssangeTrial
Summers: Maurizi was present at Ellingham Hall when Assange was calling State Department in order to deal with situation that had arisen (from publication of unredacted diplomatic cables) #AssangeTrial
Nothing in Maurizi's statement submitted to court on her visiting Ecuador embassy.

And now we have a statement from Guy S. Goodwin-Gill, who was with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees when visited Ecuador embassy.
Goodwin-Gill described visiting Ecuador embassy, leaving his phone and tablet at door with unlocked luggage. He presumed conversations during legal conference would be confidential, but in late 2019, his meeting was highlighted in Spanish proceedings into UC Global. #AssangeTrial
Statement from Robert J. Boyle, an attorney who has done work on misuse of federal grand juries, is read in court. It includes details on Chelsea Manning, including her statement to the court from February 2013 on why she disclosed information to WikiLeaks. #AssangeTrial
Boyle provides background for judge on how US federal grand juries work. "Extremely rare for court to quash or limit scope of grand jury subpoena." Universal rule against use to gather evidence for trials, but exceptions have swallowed up universal rule #AssangeTrial
Boyle describes the grand jury subpoena issued against Chelsea Manning to testify, which came after US secured first indictment against Assange. Manning believed US planned to set a perjury trap. Manning was confined at ADC and put in solitary. #AssangeTrial
After detailing the second grand jury subpoena issued in May 2019 (after Assange was arrested and expelled from Ecuador embassy), Boyle argues US government abused grand jury process and was using to gather evidence for prosecution against Assange. #AssangeTrial
There is a second statement from Boyle. It covers Manning's continued incarceration in "deplorable conditions" into 2020 and the intentional mental and physical suffering that was inflicted upon her to coerce her to testify. #AssangeTrial
Manning attempted suicide in March. Two days later, judge found it was not necessary to coerce her to provide testimony anymore. Secrecy means it is unknown why this finding was issued, but she was finally released. #AssangeTrial
Boyle warns there would be no bar to grand jury subpoenaing him for coercive interrogation by prosecutors, if Assange was acquitted at trial. They could pose questions intended to force him to reveal confidential sources. #AssangeTrial
Statement from Bridget Prince, executive director of One World Research, is read into court. Prince's testimony relates to who would be in jury pool if Assange was brought to US and put on trial. #AssangeTrial
The defense had Prince research right-wing billionaire and Trump bankroller Sheldon Adelson and his company Las Vegas Sands. (This relates to UC Global espionage operation.) #AssangeTrial
I'll state clearly my opposition to this court for only permitting parts of witness statements to be read in record because judge *already* has materials.

This is not how US military judge conducted Manning's trial. Any statements or rulings were read in full. #AssangeTrial
We're hearing statement from Witness #1. This is evidence on the UC Global espionage operation. #AssangeTrial
Witness #1, referring to trip Morales took to Las Vegas security trade fair & inked contract with Sheldon Adelson.

"The contract did not make sense because it’s purpose was to provide security for a boat owned by [Adelson] but the boat had its own security." #AssangeTrial
Witness #1 says Morales had "real obsession" in "recording lawyers" meeting with Assange because "our American friends were requesting it.” #AssangeTrial
Witness #1: Purpose of installing microphones was to record meetings Assange had with visitors but specifically legal team, especially attorney Baltasar Garzon.

Garzon had passport photographed. He was followed. #AssangeTrial
Moving quickly, we had a statement from a Spanish lawyer involved in case against Morales. Now, we're on to a statement from Noam Chomsky. #AssangeTrial
Chomsky: "Assange’s opinions and actions should be understood in relation to priorities of government." And, "Assange’s actions, which have been categorized as criminal, are actions that expose power to sunlight." #AssangeTrial
The majority of Chomsky's statement addresses the relevant extradition treaty issue of whether Assange was targeted for his political opinions. #AssangeTrial
Characterizing the approach of government, Chomsky adds, "The public on the contrary is an enemy that must be kept in ignorance." #AssangeTrial
With all of the statements entered in court, that leaves four witnesses: Jameel Jaffer, Gareth Peirce, Michael Tigar, and Andy Worthington.

Worthington is scheduled to give live testimony this afternoon #AssangeTrial
Going back, Witness #2 was instructed to place stickers on windows of Ecuador embassy indicating CCTV was in operation. "American friends" supposedly had laser microphones to capture all conversations. But Assange's white noise machine thwarted capability. #AssangeTrial
We have a rather long break, which I will be using to compile what I imagine will be one of several articles by the time I am done with these statements. #AssangeTrial
Dear Assange's Legal Team, please release the statements from Witness #1 and Witness #2 to journalists. Thank you. #AssangeTrial
All journalists and media outlets in general that found #AssangeTrial to be "slightly repetitive" and lost interest likely missed all evidence related to UC Global.
Back from lunch, but defense needs more time to come to agreement with prosecution on witness testimony that will be submitted. Break for 30 minutes. #AssangeTrial
Adding more detail from Guy Goodwin-Gill, former legal adviser for the office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He wasn't in this position anymore when he met with Assange in embassy on June 16, 2016, but he discussed international law and his asylum. #AssangeTrial
Goodwin-Gill suggests the espionage operation by UC Global may have not only violated sovereignty of Ecuador, which granted asylum, but also violation of due process rights, including equal opportunity to make a case, given privileged information was targeted. #AssangeTrial
Statement from journalist Andy Worthington, who was a media partner on the "Gitmo Files," read in court. #AssangeTrial
Worthington says "Gitmo Files" contained "wealth of important and previously undisclosed information," including health assessments, photos, and summary of tribunals, etc #AssangeTrial
Worthington notes the "Gitmo Files" shows innocent men were "detained by mistake" or because US was offering substantial bounties to allies for al Qaida or Taliban suspects #AssangeTrial
Statement from Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, is read in court. #AssangeTrial
Jaffer: "Indictment of Mr. Assange poses a grave threat to press freedom in United States."

Focuses almost entirely on activities journalists engage in routinely. #AssangeTrial
Jaffer: Espionage Act is "notoriously convoluted." It criminalizes "wide range of activities that may bear little resemblance to espionage."

Indifferent to motive and whether harm from disclosures were outweighed by benefit to public #AssangeTrial
Jaffer: "Public debate would take place in information environment controlled almost entirely by Executive Branch officials"—if US press didn't publish classified information without authorization.

This relates to torture, warrantless wiretapping, & drone warfare. #AssangeTrial
We are adjourned, and there will be one more day of proceedings tomorrow.

I'll have a live report in a few minutes on Day 17: #AssangeTrial
Two former UC Global employees submitted testimony on US intelligence-backed espionage operation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

One of them, an IT expert, said they thwarted plan to bug every room in the Ecuador embassy.

shadowproof.com/2020/09/30/uc-… #AssangeTrial

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More from @kgosztola

Feb 20
Today is Day 1 of extradition appeal hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the British High Court of Justice.

His legal team has requested that the court grant Assange a full appeal hearing.

Thread with articles on what Assange's team considers grounds for appeal.
The CIA allegedly plotted to kidnap, poison, or kill Assange. To extradite Assange would undermine his right to life & right to be free from “torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” under European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
thedissenter.org/countdown-day-…
Since the Espionage Act has never been used by US to prosecute a publisher, Assange's attorneys argue extradition is barred. Publishing info was not a “criminal offense under national or international law at the time when it was committed.”
thedissenter.org/countdown-to-d…
Read 12 tweets
Jun 22, 2023
The media delusion that Daniel Ellsberg blew the whistle 'the right way' thedissenter.org/media-delusion…
Video version that includes the clip of David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart erroneously arguing that what Ellsberg did was somehow different from Snowden's whistleblowing. Or that Ellsberg did it the "right way."
Incredibly, while contending that Snowden was an egomaniac, Brooks and Capehart spend the part of the show that is supposed to be a tribute to Daniel Ellsberg focusing on themselves. They make it about their views on Snowden—views they know Ellsberg absolutely didn't share.
Read 6 tweets
Dec 31, 2022
Not only was 2022 yet another year with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in prison, but it also was another year in which Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) refused to include Assange in their annual jailed journalists index
The United Kingdom, which has kept Assange in Belmarsh prison for over 3.5 years at the behest of the US government, should be light red on this map - just like Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Philippines, Turkmenistan, etc. But CPJ’s leadership can’t bring their organization to do that
The Committee to Protect Journalists’ own methodology suggests Assange qualifies, and should have qualified long ago.

Assange frequently commented on “public affairs” for print, radio, TV, and online.

So why doesn’t CPJ include Assange in their index?
Read 7 tweets
Dec 25, 2022
Bah humbug from @SouthwestAir to far too many passengers flying their airline.

This is Midway airport in Chicago, where families with crying children had to deal with the fact that they were lied to by this airline. Because their flights were never going to leave Chicago. ImageImageImage
I was booked on an 8:10 PM flight to Denver to visit family for Christmas. The plane was there at the gate, but @SouthwestAir had no pilot. They must’ve known, yet they waited til 15 min before boarding time to cancel the flight.
Apparently, @SouthwestAir is in the middle of major crisis in Denver. They are dealing with a staff shortage that’s so bad that at least one flight from Tampa was turned around and sent back to where it took off.

How many flights to Denver were canceled today due to this crisis? Image
Read 17 tweets
Nov 16, 2022
US Senate investigation confirmed that dozens of women at the Irwin County Detention Center were medically abused by a single ICE doctor, who was hired even though the Justice Department and state of Georgia had sued him thedissenter.org/senate-investi…
Here is Karina Cisneros Preciado at the Senate permanent subcommittee hearing on ICE's medical mistreatment of women. She courageously shared her incarceration story, including when OB-GYN contracted by ICE subjected her to treatment without her consent.
Sen. Ossoff grilled the ICE official who is in charge of oversight for doctors contracted by the agency. His negligence allowed Dr. Mahendra Amin to treat and abuse dozens if not hundreds of women who were in ICE custody at Irwin County Detention Center between 2017-2020.
Read 6 tweets
Oct 8, 2022
Rallies in Denver, Minneapolis, Seattle, Tulsa, San Francisco Bay Area, & Washington DC, to support Stella Assange & supporters who formed human chain around UK Parliament to free Assange.

All part of global day of action that has been underway. I'm speaking at the DC rally.
LIVE: Hands Off Assange rally in DC at 12pm ET

thedissenter.org/livestream-han…
DC Free Assange rally at DOJ about to begin
Read 10 tweets

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