Thread by @jamesdoleman

Back at court 4 of the Royal Courts of Justice for the second day of the Julian #Assange extradition hearing.
Proceedings due to begin at 10.30

Edward Fitzgerald QC for Mr Assange rises to begin his submissions.
He tells the court his client won't be attending today by video link.

Mr Fitzgerald says that US assurances that #Assange will not be put in a "supermax," prison do not deal with the effect actual extradition and ant detention will have on his client.

"He will still be subject to harsh detention," Fitzgerald says and notes the reports show the negative effect the loss of family support would have on his mental health.

Fitzgerald says the evidence Assange would be put in isolation if extradited is "overwhelming."

"This is not something that would happen in the dim and distant future, it would happen the moment he landed."

Says again that the prosecution seems to be demanding that the original judge should have produced "reasons for reasons."

The QC says the original judge applied the law exactly as parliament intended, says prosecution counsel James Lewis is wrong to say she didn't adding "If my honorable friend wants to change the law that’s fine, "
#Assange

Fitzgerald says this is not a normal case: "For many years is wasn’t even thought possible to prosecute Assange at all," he notesm adding thar we’ve seen prosecutors resigning over the superceding indictment.

Fitzgerald notes story claims that the CIA considered killing #Assange. "There are great grounds for fearing what will be done to him given the revelations of surveillance in the embassy and plots to kill him."

Fitzgerald responds to the prosecution argument that no deported person to the US has ever committed suicide, "This has nothing to do with the Americans, its to do with the courts here protecting vulnerable UK citizens, and now they are trying to turn that against us."

The judge pauses proceedings briefly to tell people in the public gallery to turn off their mobile phones.

Firzgerald on the Kopelman issue, "The US has recklessly stated that there was a finding that the court has been misled..leading to a number of reports in the press causing collateral ."

#Assange

The defence QC says Kopelman did say in his report that Assange had started a relationship with a woman, while he was in the embassy, but decided not to name her for safety reasons, he had also taken legal advice over this.
#Assange

Defence say Assange was subject to an "a menacing threatening surveillance...they were talking about killing Mr Assange," and that was why there were concerns about revealing his partners name.

Fitzgerald says the original judge heard that evidence first hand and ruled not naming Assange's partner was due to "understandable human concerns."

Fitzgerald on some of the US arguments:

"Scraping the barrel in an unworthy manner.” and “not conducive to the proper consideration of the issues before this court.”

#Assange

Court breaks for luch, back at 2pm