Thread by @MaryKostakidis

#Assange Extradition Decision

Joined the videolink to London’s Old Bailey.

There are 12 of us on this link so far, but journalists can join for another half an hour.

Well cross to the court room shortly before 10 London time.

ABC News Europe correspondent @lb_online also on the link

Carrie-Ann Greenbank from Channel 9 also

38 of us now plus Jen Robinson.

We’re in court . Nothing to see yet

Prosecution lawyers walking in. We don’t have a view of the whole room this time, at least not so far. A close up f a glass box. I presume that’s where they will bring Julian.

View of front of court now. Then paying court room & back to the glass boxed space.

Fitzgerald asked for water (off camera) but he is told there are no ushers.

Lots of brouhaha among the BBC journos who thought they were all approved. Only one per organisation allowed..

I heard Fitzgerald say something about 10.30... that cuts it down to half an hour. Very short..

Julian

Mask, suit. Close up. Trying to talk to someone but not in view.
Judge enters

Julian giving his name.

Terrible echo when judge speaking. Uggghh

She will make written judgement available.

We ate complaining on the chat function because we can’t hear the judge.

She said she would make a short statement & is reading it but the echo is so bad I can’t hear her words.

Host says they have made the court aware of the audio problem. It will all be over before they fix it.

She is summarising events.

This looks like a bigger court room & they obviously didn’t test the judge’s audio. Pretty appalling.

I am hearing from another on the link who has better audio that her findings are terrible. But I can’t fuckin* hear & neither can many others.

They just moved her mic. Better

Impact on Stella & children of extradition : Nothing out of the ordinary

Jury pool in US will be drawn from 6 counties, ensuring impartiality.

She doesn’t accept any Defence arguments. All constitutional protections she believes will be made available to him.

Detailing doctrines of Due Process protections in the US.

No basis for reaching the conclusion she says he will not receive the protections of the US Constitution.

She claims once he is on US soil, he will have the protection of US Constitution

“This court trusts that the US will protect Mr Assange’s rights”

On his health: accept he suffers from episodic depression & Aspergers.

Accepts he has had suicidal thoughts.

.. Has planned for his death.
A depressed & despairing man.

Suicide in the family.
Us conditions - real risk he will be held under SAMs

Quoting Pompeo on WL being a hostile ...
Real risk he will be held at ADX

Significant isolation, little contact with family or other people.

2 phone calls a month.
Conditions will have a deleterious effect on him.

He has the intelligence & determination to circumvent Suicide protocols

Oh my god

No EXtradition

Us has 14 days to appeal

Bail.... question

Fitzgerald: can we agree on bail today?

No she is “not in a position to”

She wants to know if he is ready to apply for bail today

He wants to speak to Julian first

Three quarters of an hour break to take instructions

Don’t know about you but so fucking relieved I can’t believe it. Whatever she had been reading beforehand sounded so ominous. Her findings were all for the Prosecution. Now it looks almost like she was softening them up for the blow, if I can put it that way. Sure had me scared!

There were so many points on which the Defence evidence was strong but she seemed to accept none of it. I am looking forward to reading the judgement. However, the significant thing is she accepted he is likely to kill himself the conditions -in the jail he is likely to be held..

Because the conditions are bloody INHUMANE (my words not hers)

The medical evidence was strong as was evidence about where and how he will be jailed.
I can’t see the decision being reversed on appeal.
But they may keep him in jail through the appeals process, and there are two.. High Court, then Supreme Court.

She may have given all other points to the US, but her decision is a condemnation of the inhumane conditions to which they subject inmates.

But is this a win for Press Freedom, for journalism? No. Only fragile health saved him from the inhumane conditions he would have been sent to. But let’s be happy for Julian. For someone who has already paid with a decade of his life.

We can see Julian & Mark Summers on split screen

I expect his lawyers to let the judge know if they will apply for bail today or need time to prepare a case. They will presumably need to convince her he will not abscond.

Let’s hope she takes Covid at the jail into account.

Fitzgerald wants time to put all the issues before her so she can decide, on Wednesday. Court 1 on Wed morning. Should take an hour, including Prosecution objections.

Summers says her order has to specify legal costs in relation to discharge, under the Extradition Act. I guess this means the US has to pay costs. Prosecution is asking for a stay.

Cast adjourned for bail application on Wed & JA will be present.

I can see a smile under that mask.

Kristinn, Joseph, Stella.
Good of them to leave the camera on J for a bit.
Goodnight all.