USA+UK Vs. Assange - UK Extradition Hearing S01E02 - September 7th

S01E02 - The Empire Keeps on Striking

Assange's extradition hearing, started on Feb 24th-28th 2020 will continue for two to three weeks, on September 7th.

As with previous episode, the Westminster Court of Magistrates (and the judge Vanessa Baraitser, doing the front job for her boss Emma Arbuthnot) will deport itself physically to another court location: Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of London.

This time we know it won't be in Woolwich Crown Court, which is adjacent to HMP Belmarsh high-security prison, where Julian Assange is being illegally kept. On July 27th, Judge Baraitser confirmed the second part of the hearing will be held in Central Criminal Court/Old Bailey.

Hearing is will be held at Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales (commonly called the Old Bailey, after the street on which it stands), in Central London.

City Thameslink, Farringdon

St Paul's

Stay tuned for information about mutualized/organized trips to the hearing…

It may be up to three, or maybe four(!) weeks, as the UK is trying hard to maintain the appearance of fair and impartial proceedings, despite all evidence that this is a mockery of justice. Proceedings could be shorter (on February they were scheduled to last for 5 days and ended up during only 3.5, the prosecution having surprisingly little -always the same- things to say…).

Previous episode of the hearing gave way to a farce when it comes to access to the public: public was filtered outside of the premises of the court and forced to queue from 6AM on; only 13 people being allowed inside from the public; they were held in some high-security glass room where little could be understood of what was going on…

Yet many supporters felt comfortable expressing their support and anger while organizing outside of the court room. Will it be possible this time, due to Covid-19 restrictions or any other pretext used to silence public expression on Assange's case?

The US DoJ published a new, superseding indictment on June 24th 2020, telling a completely different story, while the extradition hearing had already started(!). Yet, the US haven't formally transmitted them to the UK prosecution, nor the defense team.

Thus it is unclear yet over which document the proceedings will be! Maybe the US prosecution will withdraw its extradition request to file in a new one, based on the new indictment? In which case will the defense have an occasion to formally react/prepare to the new document (by filing evidence, etc?)? and/or would it make the proceedings restart from the start?

It's not anyways like if the UK demonstrated any sort of attachment to legality, the respect of international treaties, or even the appearance of impartial justice so far…

According to Stella Morris, Julian Assange's partner, it is possible that “the US will drop its existing extradition request and then re-arrest him on the very same 18 charges, under a different extradition request.”, as an attempt to postpone the proceedings after the US elections.