actors_of_a_persecution [Free Assange!]

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======= Actors of a Persecution =======

**An attempt of making a list of actors of the persecution of Assange.**


====== UK ======

==== Judge Arbuthnot ====
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Emma Arbuthnot, Baroness of Edrom, is a Chief magistrate in London. She is married to James Arbuthnot, Baron of Edrom. 

Ironically, in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20180726085934/https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/assange-ruling-2-feb2018.pdf|her ruling from February 2018]], Arbuthnot had said that Assange’s fears of U.S. extradition were not “reasonable,” and dismissed concerns about his health problems, remarking that they “could be much worse.”  

In August 2018, Arbuthnot recused herself from further involvement in the Uber licensing case in London after it was alleged that there may be a conflict of interest due to “[[https://archive.fo/7EtF0|her husband’s work for a strategy firm that has advised one of Uber’s largest investors]],” the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Investment Authority (QIA). QIA is a client of SC Strategy Ltd, co-founded by [[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/03/former-reviewer-of-anti-terror-laws-co-owns-consultancy-with-ex-mi6-chief|Lord Alexander Charles Carlile]] and former MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett, and Mr. [[James Arbuthnot]] has been a consultant there. It was later argued in court that Arbuthnot “[[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/13/uber-chief-magistrate-alleged-bias-raised-in-court|had failed to check whether her family had a financial interest in the issue]].” Arbuthnot has said she was **not aware of the connection with her husband's work**.

Mr. Arbuthnot is also [[https://archive.fo/JvFIz#selection-1515.0-1515.69|chairman of the advisory board]] for the large U.K. subsidiary of Thales Group, a military arms and communication systems manufacturer. WikiLeaks has published documents about them within various releases (including under their former name, Thomson-CSF), such as their response to the “[[https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08PARIS1325_a.html|Blue Lantern]]” inquiry by the U.S. State Department.

{{ the_actors:ja_lady_lord_arbuthnot.jpeg?200|}}According to investigations by Mark Curtis and Matt Kennard published in the South African Daily Maverick, Arbuthnot had [[https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-11-14-julian-assanges-judge-and-her-husbands-links-to-the-british-military-establishment-exposed-by-wikileaks/|at least twice directly benefited financially from two organizations that WikiLeaks had exposed]]. Her son, [[https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-11-15-conflicts-of-interest-judge-in-julian-assange-case-fails-to-declare-sons-links-to-uk-and-us-intelligence/|Alexander Arbuthnot]], worked for Symantec from 2010 to 2016, and then moved to Vitruvian Partners, a large investor in Darktrace. Both Symantec and Darktrace had / have the explicit goal of helping their clients identify and stop whistleblowers — or as they termed it, “malicious insider activity.”

As of this writing, despite the conflict(s) of interest being raised multiple times by the defence team, Arbuthnot has still [[https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-coming-show-trial-of-julian-assange/|refused to recuse herself]]. She currently acts as a supervising judge on the case.


==== Judge Baraitser ====
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Vanessa Baraitser

In remarks directed at Assange, Baraitser reportedly stated: “You have been produced today because your sentence of imprisonment is about to come to an end. When that happens your remand status changes from a serving prisoner to a person facing extradition.”

She continued: “Therefore I have given your lawyer an opportunity to make an application for bail on your behalf and she has declined to do so. Perhaps not surprisingly in light of your history of absconding in these proceedings.”\\

This claim, however, is contradicted by the WikiLeaks statement, accusing the judge of preempting any application for bail by Assange’s lawyers.

Baraitser declared: “In my view I have substantial ground for believing if I release you, you will abscond again.”

Baraitser’s ruling was based on the fraudulent claim that Assange illegitimately “absconded” on bail in 2012. In reality, Assange exercised his right, protected under international law, to seek political asylum in Ecuador’s London embassy.

According to an investigation by [[https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-07-31-uk-government-refuses-to-release-information-about-assange-judge-who-has-96-extradition-record/|Declassified UK]], published in July 2020, Baraitser has "a 96% extradition record from publicly available evidence," where "six of the extraditions, or 26% of the rulings, were successfully appealed."
==== Judge Snow ====

Michael Snow

==== Judge Taylor ====
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Deborah Frances Taylor presided over [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190501121351/https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/sentencing-remarks-assange-010519.pdf|the sentencing for bail violations at Southwark Crown Court]] on May 1st 2019. At one point, she [[https://twitter.com/NielsLadefoged/status/1123536719918313472|mistakenly claimed that Assange had been charged in Sweden]]. After rejecting all of the defence's mitigation arguments, Taylor accused Assange of costing British taxpayers £16 million, mostly referring to expenses from overt and covert surveillance operations by police while Assange resided in the Ecuadorian Embassy. She categorised the bail violation as ‘[[https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/magistrates-court/item/failure-to-surrender-to-bail/|A1]],’ meaning there was a failure to surrender with ‘deliberate attempt to evade or delay justice,’ despite his asylum application from June 2012 clearly stating, “[[https://justice4assange.com/IMG/pdf/Full_Asylum_Application_Assange_25_june_2012.pdf|It is not my wish to avoid investigation or indeed trial in Sweden, however unjust I believe the context to date to have been]]” (para. 47). She sentenced him to 50 weeks in prison, or 47 weeks when accounting for time served since his arrest. This is near the maximum (one year) for this offence.

===== Crown Prosecution Office =====

==== Keir Starmer ====

The head of the CPS during the most crucial phase of the Julian Assange case was Keir Starmer. It was his CPS that advised the Swedish prosecutors NOT to question Julian #Assange in London, and delayed the Swedish case.

(Source: Stefania Maurizzi - https://www.twitter.com/SMaurizi/status/1229780054701461504)

==== Ben Brandon ====

A representative for the U.S. government during the preliminary hearings of the extradition trial. Brandon "[[https://web.archive.org/web/20160824081550/https://3rblaw.com/barrister/ben-brandon/|specialises in extradition, fraud and professional misconduct. Ben has acted for individual defendants and foreign Governments in pre- and post- 2003 Extradition Act proceedings]]."

==== Clair Dobbin ====
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A representative for the U.S. government during the preliminary hearings and extradition trial. In December 2019, she requested that the case to be delayed until April 2020, which was denied.

Dobbin "[[https://3rblaw.com/barrister/clair-dobbin/|practices in the fields of: public law, human rights (with a particular expertise in children’s rights), international co-operation law (extradition, mutual legal assistance and diplomatic law), inquests and inquiries and civil recovery]]."

==== James Hines QC ====

A representative for the U.S. government during the preliminary hearings of the extradition trial. Hines "[[https://3rblaw.com/barrister/james-hines-qc/|has been practising in large scale commercial fraud, crime and extradition, both prosecuting and defending for over 35 years. He specialises in cases which have both criminal and commercial/civil aspects particularly those with an international element.]]."

At the first hearing on April 11th 2019, Hines [[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/11/assange-branded-a-narcissist-by-judge-who-found-him-guilty|described Assange's arrest from the police's perspective]].

==== James Lewis QC ====
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A representative for the U.K. government during the preliminary hearings of the extradition trial. Lewis is described as "[[https://3rblaw.com/barrister/james-lewis-qc/|an experienced litigation strategist and advocate who can advise and represent governments, companies and individuals in respect of commercial, regulatory and criminal issues, particularly those with an international dimension. He excels in complex and difficult cases]]."

At a case management hearing on October 21st 2019, he "[[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/oct/21/julian-assange-extradition-judge-refuses-request-for-delay-wikileaks|strongly opposed Assange being given more time to prepare evidence]]."

James Lewis is -as of the beginning of the 2nd part of the hearing- one of the main attackers for the prosecution, as accounted by [[https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/09/your-man-in-the-public-gallery-the-assange-hearing-day-6/|Craig Murray in his account of the day of September 7th]]

==== Erin Watkin ====

The [[https://au.news.yahoo.com/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arrested-british-police-100901728.html|U.K.'s prosecutor for the bail violations]]. Assange was then found guilty of breaching bail conditions by Judge Snow on April 11th.


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====== US ======

===== US Department of Justice Personnel assisting the UK prosecution =====
{{the_actors:us-doj.png?600 |US DoJ Personnel in the Woolwich Court (Belmarsh)}}{{the_actors:dwyer_traxler_london_feb20.jpg?300 |Dwyer & Traxler, Woolwich Court, London, February 2020}}

==== John McNeil ====

DoJ attaché at the US Embassy in London.

==== Kellen S. Dwyer ==== 

{{the_actors:kellen_dwyer.jpeg?200| }}{{the_actors:kellen_dwyer.jpg?200 |}}
\\ 
Listed in the indictment

\\ 

==== Unidentified ====
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(help identify this person)


===== Grand Jury in Alexandria =====

==== Megan Brown ====

FBI Special Agent in the Counterespionage Squad of the Washington Field Office

"FBI Special Agent Megan Brown, who was assigned to the “counterespionage squad” at the Washington Field Office in the District of Columbia, focused on the publication of the Iraq and Afghanistan War Logs in an [[https://shadowproof.com/2019/04/16/fbi-affidavit-in-assange-case-shows-government-is-criminalizing-publication-of-afghanistan-war-logs/|affidavit]] she submitted on this charge in December 2017." (from https://dissenter.substack.com/p/prosecutors-password-cracking-conspiracy)
==== Theresa Buchanan ====

Federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

==== Tracy Doherty-McCormick ====
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First assistant US Attorney
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia

 prosecuting the case in the US.

==== Kellen S. Dwyer ====
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Assistant U.S. attorney

 prosecuting the case in the US.

==== Thomas W. Traxler ====
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Assistant U.S. attorney

 prosecuting the case in the US.

==== Gordon D. Kromberg ====

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prosecuting the case in the US.

bio: "Mr. Gordon Kromberg is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where he has served since 1991. He has been the lead prosecutor in many cases of defendants attempting to support Al Qaeda and ISIS, and other terrorist groups. After 9/11, Gordon served on the United States Justice Department’s Terrorist Financing Task Force, and helped coordinate a nationwide enforcement effort to combat terrorist financing.  Gordon is a graduate of Princeton University and the New York University School of Law, and a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps." 

{{:the_actors:media_ehn1fpcucaedsmc.png_name_orig.png?direct&200|}} 

From [[https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/09/your-man-in-the-public-gallery-assange-hearing-day-8/|Craig Murray]]:

When the best thing your most supportive colleague can say about you, is that out-and-out Islamophobes do enjoy temporary popularity in the immediate aftermath of a terror attack, then there is a real problem. There is a real problem with Gordon Kromberg, and Lewis may very well come to regret resting the weight of the credibility of his entire case upon such a shoogly peg. 

[[https://archive.is/A755r|Washington Post:  "Relentless Terrorism Prosecutor Faces Accusations of His Own"]]: 

When Al-Arian's Tampa attorney, Jack Fernandez, asked Kromberg to delay the defendant's transfer 30 days until after the Islamic religious holidays of Ramadan, Kromberg responded: "If they can kill each other during Ramadan, they can appear before the grand jury. All they can't do is eat before sunset. I believe Mr. Al-Arian's request is part of the attempted Islamization of the American Justice System. I am not going to put off Dr. Al-Arian's grand jury appearance just to assist in what is becoming the Islamization of America."

"He's a loose cannon," said an expert in legal ethics who reviewed court documents in the Arian case. "If I were the Justice Department, I wouldn't want him on the front lines of these highly visible, highly contentious prosecutions."


[[https://archive.is/3FDjX|Washington Post:Mischaracterizing My Son in 'Va. Jihad Case']]:

Mr. Kromberg's parting thrust was to link the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon with Masaud's trip to Pakistan more than a week later, knowing that my son had planned his trip since July 2001 and that nothing linked him to that tragedy. That statement was the lowest blow of all, but the court did not chastise him for it. I assume Mr. Kromberg said it for the benefit of reporters in the courtroom, so that it would be printed.

[[https://archive.is/o2H3t#selection-1989.5-1989.73|Wall Street Journal: Introducing Gordon Kromberg, a Federal Prosecutor on the Hot Seat ]]:

Through a spokesman, Kromberg declined to comment to the WaPo. But according to the story, Kromberg's critics say he has joked about torture, improperly confronted another suspect in public and has lamented "the Islamization of the American justice system."

[[https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=ydxMiGFyS5gC&pg=PT83&lpg=PT83&dq=Gordon+Kromberg&source=bl&ots=yL6XB-jE2L&sig=ACfU3U2WGLnMJBLUteZwoHXkKAWLRF7RGA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiombPa-9_rAhUkyzgGHV4XCfg4eBDoATAGegQICBAB#v=onepage&q=Gordon%20Kromberg&f=false|Bad Trip: How the War Against Drugs is Destroying America By Joel J. Miller]]:

Speaking at a 1999 conference on asset forfeiture reform hosted by the Cato Institute, Gordon Kromberg, assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, defended civil forfeiture precisely on the basis that it can be used to punish people when a prosecuter cannot muster enough evidence to prove guilt.

[[https://www.mpac.org/programs/government-relations/dc-news-and-views/justice-for-all.php|Muslim Public Affairs Council: Justice For All?]]: 

Lawyers are generally taught that deliberately using race, religion or ethnicity in prosecuting a defendant violates Equal Protection rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. In light of his repeated anti-Arab and anti-Muslim statements, it seems that Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg needs to be reminded of this fundamental principle.

Gordon Kromberg, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has made repugnant statements about Muslim women, has suggested to a jury that Muslims believe it's religiously acceptable to lie, and has promoted the notion that Muslims are killers due to their nature. MPAC today filed a complaint with the Office of Professional Responsibility calling on the Department of Justice to review Mr. Kromberg's statements and to investigate the discriminatory remarks made by him about Arabs and Muslims.

Representing the U.S. government, Kromberg argued before a district judge last fall that Dr. Sami Al-Arian should not be released in to his daughter's custody because, "in this particular culture," a woman could not prevent her father from fleeing.

The motion released by Dr. Al-Arian's attorneys calling in to question the bias of Prosecutor Kromberg states that Kromberg joked about the torture of a Virginia man name of Ahmed Abu Ali, who was then being held in Saudi Arabia. The suspect's lawyer, Salim Ali, said that when Mr. Kromberg was asked about Abu Ali's prospects for returning to America, Kromberg smirked and stated "He's no good for us here. He has no fingernails left." Kromberg later stated in a declaration that he had no recollection of making the statement.

[[https://www.nysun.com/national/a-prosecutor-is-called-relentless/82727|New York The Sun: A Prosecutor Is Called 'Relentless']]:

"Kromberg is absolutely relentless in his pursuit of everything that could be pursued in the way of forfeiture or prosecutions in this area. He's just indefatigable, relentless, tireless," Mr. FitzGerald said. "If you say he's doing the country's work to fight terrorism, that's good, he's a good fighter, but a lot of people say it's overkill, he doesn't listen to reasonable arguments. Everything is black until somebody takes him to court to prove it's white."

[[https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-LB-6478|Washington Report on Middle East Affairs: The Ordeal of Dr. Sami Al-Arian: Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg Displays Anti-Arab, Anti-Muslim Bias]]:

While most observers are wondering what is behind the continued pursuit of a case that was all but concluded, recent revelations have pointed in the direction of one particular individual: a federal prosecutor who has made no secret of his anti-Muslim and anti-Arab beliefs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg’s past actions and statements reveal a disturbing trend that supports the view that Dr. Al-Arian is being punished for his political activism on behalf of the Palestinian people.



==== Alexander P. Berrang ====

 prosecuting the case in the US.

quoted in the {{ :06_24_20_returned_redacted_foreperson_name_0.pdf |superceding indictment}}



===== US Department of Justice (others) ====


====  Matthew R. Walczewski ====
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 Justice Department’s National Security Division 
 trial attorney
 prosecuting the case in the US.

==== Nicholas O. Hunter =====
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Justice Department’s National Security Division trial attorney prosecuting the case in the US.
 
==== John C. Demers ====
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Assistant Attorney General
Department of Justice's National Security

 made the announcement after the charges were unsealed.

==== G. Zacchary Terwilliger ====
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United States Attorney
Eastern District of Virginia

 made the announcement after the charges were unsealed.



===== F.B.I =====

==== Nancy McNamara ====
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Assistant Director F.B.I

 made the announcement after the charges were unsealed.

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====== Sweden ======

==== Marianne Ny ====

Senior investigator who re-opened the closed [[tools_to_fight_a_disinformation_campaign#understanding_the_swedish_case|Swedish case]], kept it open, without investigation, for more than 6 years, to finally interrogate Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy and close the case.

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