In 1 hour, I'll watch and report on the Julian #Assange extradition hearing at the London #HighCourt. I am watching it via videolink:it was impossible for me to plan to attend in person: the UK authorities granted access to journos just 18 HOURS before the hearing
4. Julian #Assange is NOT attending in person , but rather via videolink
5. apologies:Julian Assange is neither attending in person nor via videolink. He is not well...
6. James Lewis (#CrownProsecutionService's counsel, in this extradition proceeding the #US is acting though #CPS) now arguing that incarceration in ADX+ SAMs do NOT breach Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment)
7. Julian #Assange is now watching his extradition hearing via videolink
8. James Lewis(#CrownProsecutionServoce's Counsel=#US counsel): assurances and diplomatic notes are an essential parts of the extraditions proceedings and they are trusted
9.James Lewis (#CrownProsecutionService's counsel = #US counsel) is basically arguing that, while in pre-trial confinement, Julian #Assange won't be held in solitary confinement
10.James Lewis (#CrownProsecutionService's counsel= #US counsel) argues there hasn't been a previous breach of any diplomatic assurance by US
11. I am following the Julian #Assange extradition hearing upset about the fact that the UK and the US courts are treating the extradition of a multi-awarded journalist who revealed war crimes as the extradition of Abu Hamza
12. James Lewis: the European Court of Human Rights held that detention in #ADXFlorence+SAMs do NOT breach Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights (on inhuman and degrading treatment)
13. though Julian #Assange is watching his extradition hearing via videolink, we journalists are unable to see him: hope we will be.
14. I just saw Julian #Assange: I'm upset how unwell he looks. He is so thin
15. last time I met Julian #Assange in person was Nov.2018: he was in very bad shape, but compared to how he looks now, it is nothing. I am shocked
16. Julian #Assange left the videolink. He appeared very briefly, but enough to shock me: I have never ever seen him so unwell and so thin
17. For my newspaper, I have worked as media partner of @wikileaks since 2009: I have seen Julian #Assange in all sorts of situations, but I have never ever seen him so unwell and so dangerously thin
18. if you're a journo watching #Assange extradition hearing and find technical and boring,please resist boredom. In the case of the Swedish extradition,#CrownProsecutionService wrote: "It was all rather boring and technical, which of course is precisely what I wanted to happen"
19.James Lewis characterises the suicide risk as "trump card" against extradition proceedings to the US, and says that US are copying with it better than UK
20. lunch break. Hearing will restart at 2 PM London-time
21. hearing restarts after lunch break
22.James Lewis refers to #drone whistleblower @TeamDanielHale saying he "ONLY" got a 45 months sentence. That's the normal world according to US and UK authorities: incarcerating courageous whistleblowers (and prominent journalistic sources) who reveal how drones kill innocents
23. it really keeps me awake at night how in the last 11 years we journalists,activists,intellectuals haven't been able to stop this upside down world in which courageous whistleblowers and publishers go to prison while war criminals and torturers sleep peacefully in their beds
24. James Lewis is now trying to demolish the scientific credibility of Prof. Kopelman, whose evidence on the Julian #Assange's mental health was considered impartial by judge Vanessa Baraitser and hugely contributed to her decision not to grant extradition
25. Julian #Assange is now back: watching his extradition hearing. I can't watch him in those conditions....
26. dangerously thin, he has aged so much: it's beyond sad to see Julian #Assange in this condition
27. it's kind of The Picture of Dorian Gray: the picture appears to be rule of law, legal proceedings, but then you look at how the US and UK have reduced Julian #Assange and you understand there is nothing decent in this
28. Note: @Isikoff is watching the extradition hearing,he and his colleagues at Yahoo! were able to get 30 sources telling how the #CIA planned to kill/kidnap Julian #Assange.Imagine what #NYT and #WashPost could have done,had they wanted to do journalism
29. James Lewis arguments obsessively focusing on: undermining the impartiality of professor Kopelman+Julian #Assange's defence exaggerating his mental conditions
30. now James Lewis goes to the attack of Dr Deeley, whose forensic evidence about Julian #Assange's incresead risk of committing suicide because of his autistic spectrum disorder was relied on by judge Baraitser to rule against his extradition
31. in a nutshell: James Lewis' mission is to demolish the two crucial psychiatric assessments which made judge Baraitser to deny extradition: Prof. Kopelman + Dr. Deeley
32. When you listen to the #CrownProsecutionService's counsel,James Lewis,do NOT forget that during the extradition attempt by Sweden #CrownProsecutionService ridiculed Julian #Assange's health deterioration,as my FOIA docs show
33. since James Lewis confused me, I went back to documents:it's NOT true that there is divergence of opinions. They agreed on the autistic spectrum disorder: Kopelman,Deeley,Fazel
34. James Lewis argues judge district, Vanessa Baraitser, was wrong to deny Julian #Assange's extradition on the basis of prediction of future (risk of suicide in the future, if extradited to the US)
35. As predicted: James Lewis calls for psychiatric evidence from the authoritative Prof. Kopelman to be given less weight
36. the UK Crown Prosecution Service's counsel, James Lewis, just concluded.
37. Edward Fitzerald (JA's counsel): psychiatric assessment was NOT about prediction of future, but rather about what Julian #Assange IMMEDIATELY risks if transferred to the US
38. Edward Fitzgerald (JA's counsel) debunks James Lewis' attempt to represent Prof. Kopelman as a lone wolf in his psychiatric diagnosis of JA suffering mental disorder. Fitzgerald: Kopelman,Deeley,Fazel's assessment agree
39. Fitzgerald (JA's cousel): district judge Vanessa Baraitser already dealt with this: even if there are protective measures in the state requesting extradition, will they be enough?
40. Day 1 of the Julian #Assange extradition hearing at the UK High Court of Justice is out. It will resume tomorrow 10.30 London-time
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