OK - now Iran "professor" Afrasiabi, charged will illegal lobbying for, and undisclosed payments from, Iran's Mission to the UN, has a proceeding in the EDNY Court. Inner City Press has reported on the case innercitypress.com/edny5iranmissi… and will live tweet, thread below ImageImageImageImage
EDNY District Judge Edward R. Korman is strongly advising Afrasiabi to *not* represent himself.
Judge: I'm not sure you have any experience with juries in this district. I had a murder case where affluent defendant hired his own jury consultant to advise his lawyer
Judge Korman: You have to develop a theory of the case, for an opening statement. Then you'd have to cross examine the witnesses against you, on the charge you were an unregistered agent of a foreign power. You'd need an experienced lawyer
Judge Korman: The Foreign Agent Registration Act is not a run of the mill statute, not similar to most cases in this District. The Supreme Court requires that you be fully apprised of what he or she is doing, without a lawyer. You don't have to tell me today
Judge Korman: Did you understand what I've said? I can't hear you.
Afrasiabi: Your Honor, I want to express my utmost gratitude. I assure you I am in my full cognitive capacity in making the decision to represent myself in this case.
Afrasiabi: I feel I should be in total candor with this court. My first reason is I am a political scientist, a veteran litigator (?). I have cross examined witnesses in a civil conspiracy case, and filed thousands of motions.
Afrasiabi: I have prevailed without a lawyer. My record against the government is four to zero. Now it will be five zero. I have been tarnished to the public. I write peer reviewed articles. On Google, it just says I am arrested. I must retrieve my name
Afrasiabi: I had a part time consulting role with Iran, yes. My legacy is important to me. I know the law. Shakespeare said, There's no better sign of a brave mind than a hard hand.
Judge Korman: You might be better off with a lawyer.
Afrasiabi: I am aware of all the risks - the main risk is the humiliation of the prosecutors. I am battle hardened in the Federal courts. I will conduct myself with honor.
Judge Korman: You don't want to think about it?
Afrasiabi: There is no necessity for that.
AUSA: He will be expected to comply with the Classified Information Procedures Act.
Judge Korman: I don't have any idea how that would come into play here. But you'll have to comply with it.
Afrasiabi: Yes, of course. I only request equal justice.
Afrasiabi: I only want the same privileges as other lawyers, to valiantly defend myself.
Judge Korman: You may have the privilege but not know how to use it. But you are doing so knowingly, you may represent yourself.
Now the question of Afriasiabi's conditions of release. He can only leave his house four hours a week.
Afrasiabi, it emerges, speaks Spanish: "Yo pienso, yo tengo the same concerns."
There'll be a pause in the proceeding. Thread will continue.
Afrasiabi is back. He pleads not guilty.
AUSA: His conditions of release as the result of negotiation with his then retained counsel. To assure his appearance. There is a risk of flight.
AUSA: This is more than a regulatory offense. He is charged with secretly working for the Iranian government for 15 years. He deceived editors and news media personalities. He did it for money.
AUSA: The Iranian government has condemned this prosecution, called him a hostage. The Iranian government does not want him detained. He dealt with the Permanent Representative to the United Nations
[Inner City Press has asked @antonioguterres & @UN_Spokesperson]
AUSA: Afrasiabi could just walk into the Iranian Mission to the UN, which is diplomatic property.
[It's on Third Ave near 40th Street. Inner City Press before ouster from UN by @antonioguterres went there for a press conference, watched journos eat out of hands Image
AUSA: He has emailed that he is a victim of human rights violations here. He owns no significant property here. His main employment has been with the Iranian Mission to the UN. Those who live in his house didn't sign the bond for him.
AUSA: He is an alien, under FARA he is subject to removal by law. Moreover, it is unlikely he will continue to get paid by the Iranian Mission or anyone else. He was a paid agent of Iran.
AUSA: Afrisiabi has had multiple arrests for harassment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We've reviewed the police reports. He commences frivolous civil actions against witnesses against him. This is not your typical defendant. His employer can help him flee.
Afrasiabi's stand-by / shadow counsel: He was paid by the Iranian Mission to the UN, by check, for 15 years.
[UN Federal Credit Union was involved, but @UN_Spokesperson @StephDujarric, @MelissaFleming and @antonioguterres have refused to answer]
Afrasiabi's stand-by / shadow counsel: He can't go to the library, he would have to have your Honor's permission to celebrate any holiday away from home.
Judge Korman: I could add conditions... I don't see how a person of his age should be wandering around Boston.
Afrasiabi: I have an academic book contract. I need to do bookstore research. I graduated Thayer Academy, I worked at Harvard. I wrote a book about the United Nations [!]
Afrasiabi: I have complained to the UN Human Rights Council... I am defending the honor of others here. My part time consulting role for the UN... Iran ... what impact did it have? I urged the UN Secretary General [!]
Afrasiabi: I went on TV, I tried to free Mr. Levinson... I will deliver a humiliating defeat to the prosecution.
Judge Korman: OK, he wants to leave his house to go to the library. I will allow that.
Shadow: Widener Library is open until 10.
Afrasiabi's shadow counsel: How about he can go out for research activities?
Judge Korman: Libraries or bookstores. There is, of course, Amazon. I think we're finished for today.
[Will ask UN again]
Story soon on InnerCityPress.com and patreon.com/MatthewRussell…
But wait there's more: Afrasiabi suggested April 14 for next date. But Judge Korman will be sitting on the 9th Circuit then. So, April 21. Inner City Press will stay on thie case, and keep asking the UN despite... human rights violations? pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/…

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More from @innercitypress

12 Feb
OK - now in Honduras narco-case including Prez JOH & brother Tony, now Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez has a proceeding before Judge Castel - Inner City Press will live tweet, thread below ImageImageImageImage
The US Attorney's Office has asked for "Witness-1" to testimony under a pseudonym, and for jurors and "venire" (prospective jurors) be left unnamed, due to threats of retaliation and "inability of Honduran government to protect witness."
Or unwillingness?
Judge Castel: I presided over the Hernandez Alvarado trial, but this one will be different. Defense?
Defendant's counsel: I understand reading between the lines what your Honor is saying [about corruption in Honduras] and the alleged homicide...
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12 Feb
OK - now China's NYPD spy Angwang has (another) proceeding seeking release - AUSA mentioning Chinese Mission to the UN. Inner City Press is reporting on case, which UN is not answering on innercitypress.com/china11nypdedn… and will live tweet, thread below ImageImageImageImage
AUSA is asked why DOJ allowed others accused of pressuring people to "return" to China. He says, Angwang had a duty to disclose his link, and is tied to Chinese diplomatic mission in New York (UN).
Judge Eric R. Komitee asks if DOJ appealed other releases on bond. No, is the answer. But AUSA emphasizes again Angwang's failure to disclose, and links to Chinese Mission on 35th Street.
Read 10 tweets
11 Feb
OK - #insurrectionBlues case of US v. Mark Sahady, before DDC Magistrate Judge Meriweather. Inner City Press is covering these cases and will live tweet, thread below, song here soundcloud.com/innercitypress…
Here's a photo from US v. Sahady - he wants to travel beyond Massachusetts to be a ski instructor and potentially buy a second home. "Super Happy Fun America" His lawyer says it was not an insurrection, calls that "conclusory." Image
Sahady's lawyer: My client has been fired from his job, and is not paid for his Army Reserve duty - he's been flagged. His drill would be outside of Massachusetts. New England is small.
Read 4 tweets
11 Feb
OK - in #NorthKorea crypto-currency prosecution of US v. Virgil Griffith of Ethereum, there is now a proceeding @sdnylive. Inner City Press has reported on the case from Day 1 innercitypress.com/sdnysealed24nk… and will live tweet, thread below ImageImageImageImage
The US and Virgil Griffith's lawyers disagree on how to describe the crypto knowledge of North Korea at the time of the conference Griffith spoke at. They seem to agree that some officials knew - but did "the DPRK government"?
Meanwhile, Griffith has requested loosening of pre-trial release conditions, including use of a Kindle, emailing with people other than his lawyers, and termination of drug testing. US does not oppose these. Photo below. Image
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10 Feb
OK - #insurrectionBlues case of US v. Dominic Pezzola re-starts, minutes after #impeachmentTrial breaks for dinner. DDC Magistrate Judge Meriweather is ruling to detain him pending trial. Inner City Press will live tweet, below, for now, song soundcloud.com/innercitypress…
Judge Meriweather: Maybe I was given the wrong [pre-trial] report.
Inner City Press has reported on Pezzola: innercitypress.com/ddc9antifasuar…
Judge: He has no criminal history; he has children and a spouse
Judge Meriweather: The danger is that Mr. Pezzola would engage in further activities like storming the US Capitol or other government buildings. In making that predictive judgment, I had to think if there were conditions, GPS for example
Read 6 tweets
10 Feb
OK - now Hamid Akhavan (co-defendant of Jeff Weigand) has a detention hearing before @sdnylive Jed S. Rakoff. Inner City Press has covered the case innercitypress.com/sdny27brakoffw… and will live tweet, thread below ImageImage
Judge Rakoff: What about his use of a gun?
Akhavan's lawyer: It was gun possession. He needs to be out to prepare for this serious fraud case.
Judge Rakoff: You're telling me, Screw you judge, we're one of the best law firms in the country but we can't prepare
Defense lawyer: I'm definitely not saying Screw you judge. But we just got a lot of discovery, in a corrupted file. I'll be in NY soon. You know the risks of COVID - what is one of his lawyers gets sick? It impacts the trial. We're asking for another chance.
Read 9 tweets

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