Thread by @SMaurizi

1. I’m ready to report on what is likely to be the final day of the Julian #Assange extradition hearing. Yesterday we heard shocking revelations by a former #UCGlobal employee who’s currently a protected witness:#UCGlobal boss discussed with *American friends* plans to poison JA

2. Hearing will restart at 11.30 am London-time

3. as we wait for the Julian #Assange extradition hearing restarting, I just want to reply to people asking me: as a journalist who visited JA in the embassy many times, had you noticed anything disquieting happening? Yes, I had

4. when last year I discovered how I had been a target and, among other things, my phones were unscrewed, I started analysing the weird things I had noticed, like disruption of my communications: phone calls and emails

5. I remember that in Nov 2018,after visiting Julian #Assange in the embassy for writing this article for my former newspaper,La Repubblica,my former editors at Repubblica claimed they had tried to call me and email for two days with no result [ARCHIVE]: repubblica.it/esteri/2018/11…

6. extradition hearing just restarted

7. hearing will resume at 2 pm London-time

8. we are waiting for the hearing to restart at 2 pm London-time

9. what I find it jaw-dropping about the prosecution's arguments on #UCGlobal:Prosecution argues there is basically no problem if the investigation on #UCGlobal confirms that US acquired advanced info on JA's legal strategy thanks to #UCGlobal's spying activities:US won't use it

10. I'm not exaggerating: this is what Kromberg argues in his statements: if US actually got legally privileged info thanks to #UCGlobal's spying, US won't use it against JA. Imagine if police catch a thief who stole millions $ and the thief tells police:I won't use that money

11. hearing restarts

12. US counsel is objecting to last minute witness statements. Mark Summers (JA defence) clarifies that the last minute witness statements are NOT last minute at all, as they were submitted to CPS at 1 pm

13. well, another break: hearing will resume in 30 min

14. as we wait for the hearing to resume, my UK #FOIA lawyers, @estelledehon and @suigenerisjen, just notified me unprecedented developments in my #FOIA litigation on #WikiLeaks: we will make info public as soon as possible

15. we just learned hearing will resume at 2.50 pm London-time

16. hearing restarts. Mark Summers (JA defence) reads Michael Tigar's witness statement. A US lawyer, he contributed to expose #Watergate scandal

17. apologies: Twitter blackout on my side.
Michael Tigar's witness statement highlighted the ethical and historical significance of info disclosed by #WikiLeaks, such as #Iraq Rules of Engagement and #Guantanamo Detainees Assessments

18. back online, after twitter crashed

18. back online, after twitter crashed

19. Gareth Peirce's witness statement details the appalling targeting of her legal meetings inside the Embassy: no info from US authorities on whether the legally privileged materials handed to the US by #Ecuador will be returned

20. next witness statement: @AitorxMartinez, a Spanish lawyer working for Baltasar Garzon's firm, working on the #UCGlobal case. The statement is about the Spanish criminal investigation on #UCGlobal

21. "next 3 witness statements are less easy", Mark Summers: one is an additional statement from Gareth Peirce

22. other two witness statements: a second statement from Bridget Prince, who investigated links between UC Global and Sheldon Adelson

23. James Lewis, US counsel, objects to the use of these new witness statements

24. James Lewis, US counsel, asks the judge to refuse these new statements submitted "at the 11th hour"

25. Vanessa Baraitser: I express my concern about the (JA) defence introducing new evidence

26: rather cryptic arguments on whether to admit some new evidence: the judge asked for 15 min to read the materials. Another break

27. note:consider in the past days the prosecution even objected to evidence on #UCGlobal because prosecution sees it as not really relevant to the US extradition case. Today Mark Summers(JA defense) told the judge that a verdict on #UCGlobal might be issued before her ruling

28. judge Baraitser rejects JA defence's request to admit a new Gareth Peirce's statement dealing with excissing conducts alleged in the second superseding indictment

29. judge Baraitser: ruling will be issued the 4th of January 2021

30. the Julian #Assange extradition hearing is over: there will be a new administrative hearing the 29th Oct, and the verdict will be issued the 4th Jan. 2021

31. It sounds weird to me that the verdict for such an important case as the extradition to the US of a publisher and journalist who revealed #warcrimes will take as little as the judgement for my FOIA appeal at the London Upper Tribunal