This is a running live update from a friend on Day 2 of the hearing for Julian Assange’s freedom in the UK High Court today, February 21, 2024. The hearing ended and the two judges will deliberate now likely for several weeks. there is no mandatory frame of time, the estimate for a ruling is based on previous time-frames judges have taken in this case. The freedom for all of us to publish our thoughts and feelings hangs in the balance. If he is extradited to the US, and convicted which would most certainly happen if he is sent there, all of journalism, free speech, the free press and all of us bloggers will be fair game because of the precedent established. We must fight for Assange’s freedom because his freedom, is ours.

Assange Trial Live:

Day 2.

Prosecution testimony.

Sound issues have made it nearly impossble for global journalists to follow what is being said, even from within the courtroom itself.

But Claire Dobbins, the attorney for the U.S. has thusly argued that:

The CIA plot to kill Assange doesn’t matter to the extradition request.

That UK law does not forbid political extradition (UK treaty, vs. 2003 reformed extradition act).

That Assange is not a political prisoner because two administrations have pursued political charges (absurdist).

And is arguing currently, after being stopped by a judge; that if such information were leaked in the UK -and was “damaging” (although the US determined no one was directly harmed by the release); then it would be prosecutable.

In short, the U.S. legal argument is completely absurd and full of factual errors. We are witnessing a clown show.

Note* The sound issues are ridiculous, and the court has refused to fix this. One of the largest trials in history, and the prosecution is speaking behind a veil of convenient incompetence.

A key moment just took place, High Court Justice Johnson asked U.S. attorney if there is any guarantee or precedent to establish equal protection for foreign nationals under U.S. law.

U.S. admits there is no such evidence.

-This is key to the notion that Assange cannot be safeguarded in U.S. custody or courts. And was a central theme in the defense argument yesterday.

-Court then breaks for recess, will resume in 1 hour.

The attorney for the U.S. government just said that Julian Assange’s publications had nothing to do with journalism.

She said they are “grave and serious crimes”.

(apparently forgetting that they were improperly classified documents and video to begin with, in order to hide monumental evidence of U.S. war crimes including the gunning down and murdering of women, children, and reporters as U.S. troops laughed.)

The U.S argument continues to be detached from reality and the facts of the case.

The judge has asked for Manning’s sentencing remarks.

Defense has summary remarks.

Says US prosecution is relying on the extradition treaty while at the same time attempting to ignore article 5 of it (no political extradition).

And they are pretending to guarantee safety while their heads of state have plotted to murder him (numerous times).

Says prosecution is wrong in claiming due process. The legal process has only materialized after attempts to kidnap and kill (rendition plot) failed. ie. illegal process was swapped out for a quasi-legal one.

Defense also argues that under section 7 of ECHR (the retroactive criminality section), previous judge’s ruling erred in attempting to leave the legal issue wide open to resolve as a fifth amendment issue in U.S. courts (this point was raised yesterday by defense as well). Says Assange could not have expected in any reasonable sense for prosecution to result from basic journalistic practices.

Defense says only hacking charge has any merit in any basic sense and even then they would invoke article of the ECHR over time already served. (Assange has been imprisoned for years now without charge in HMP Belmarsh,*after having won his case he was denied bail anyways).

Defense then argues that the court cannot prosecute the press for a source acting illegally.

Defense also points out that prosecution failed to mention re: names published in leaks, that a media partner leaked document passwords, and Assange actually reached out to the State department for help redacting names, but was rebuffed and ignored by them.

Assange’s final extradition appeal has finished.

Judges will deliberate and issue a ruling.

There is no specific time-frame forced in UK law, generally it has taken two to three weeks before they issue, but it could be sooner.