Daily Archives: September 28, 2020

2020-09-28: News Headlines

Alan MacLeod (2020-09-28). As his extradition trial drags on, media and rights groups are still ignoring Julian Assange. mronline.org Many mainstream rights groups and media organizations have a mixed history when it comes to opposing Washington's agenda. The case of Julian Assange has been no exception.

WSWS (2020-09-28). More evidence of management spying on Amazon workers' political activities. wsws.org A whistleblower inside Amazon sent a message last week to a number of internal company listservs, warning fellow workers that the company is monitoring opposition on those forums.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-28). Assange on Trial: Elections, Cracking Passwords and Failures of Proof. counterpunch.org September 25. Central Criminal Court, London. On this Friday, the Assange trial moved into the rarefied realm of computer hacking and the less than rarefied world of when final arguments will be made. The WikiLeaks publisher is confronting the prospect of extradition to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and

_____ (2020-09-28). Report: Julian Assange Hearing. popularresistance.org It is hard to believe, but Judge Baraitser on Friday ruled that there will be no closing speeches in the Assange extradition hearing. She accepted the proposal initially put forward by counsel for the US government, that closing arguments should simply be submitted in writing and without an oral hearing. This was accepted by the defence, as they need time to address the new superseding indictment in the closing arguments, and Baraitser was not willing for oral argument to take place later than 8 October. By agreeing to written arguments only, the defence gained a further three weeks to put together the closing of…

WSWS (2020-09-28). Free Julian Assange! The political issues confronting educators in the fight for freedom of information. wsws.org "Teachers and educators are among those owing a debt to Assange and to the whistleblowers who courageously decided to leak classified information in the public interest."

The Canary (2020-09-28). Artist Ai Weiwei stages silent protest against Julian Assange extradition. thecanary.co Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei has staged a silent protest against the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange because "all the words we want to say are already there".Assange's case has attracted the support of high-profile figures including fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, actor Pamela Anderson, and rapper MIA, who have spoken out in various forms for the Free Assange campaign.The former journalist is fighting being sent to the US on charges relating to leaks of classified documents exposing war crimes and abuse.Outside the Old Bailey in London, where his ongoing trial is taking place, Weiwei…

Jonathan Cook (2020-09-28). The Guardian's Deceit-Riddled New Statement Betrays Both Julian Assange and Journalism. counterpunch.org In my recent post on the current hearings at the Old Bailey over Julian Assange's extradition to the United States, where he would almost certainly be locked away for the rest of his life for the crime of doing journalism, I made two main criticisms of the Guardian. A decade ago, remember, the newspaper worked closely in

Staff (2020-09-28). The escalation of policing: Slave patrols, privatization, and predator drones. therealnews.com As police use private surveillance companies to track protesters and universities hire private forces, there's a danger that public records of police abuse could disappear.

_____ (2020-09-28). Colombia: 'The Number One Demand On The Streets Is For Justice'. popularresistance.org On Wednesday, September 9, a video went viral in Colombia. It depicted a man repeatedly being beaten and tased by the police while he kept pleading "please, no more". In a few hours, the man, Javier Ordóñez, would be dead and thousands would be on the streets of Bogotá and across the country demanding justice for him. | Ordóñez, a lawyer and father of two, had stepped out with his friends when he was accosted by a group of police officers. As Ordóñez was being tortured, his friends begged the officers to lay off even while capturing their cruelty.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-27). Assange's Fourteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Elections, Cracking Passwords and Failures of Proof. dissidentvoice.org September 25. Central Criminal Court, London. On this Friday, the Assange trial moved into the rarefied realm of computer hacking and the less than rarefied world of when final arguments will be made. The WikiLeaks publisher is confronting the prospect of extradition to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and …

_____ (2020-09-27). Assange Hearing: Testimonies Undermine US Indictment, Provide Grounds For Dismissal. popularresistance.org Week three of the hearings at the Old Bailey for Julian Assange's extradition to the US heard testimony from a computer security expert that may prove to be critical. That testimony could be used to undermine the first indictment raised against the WikiLeaks founder and therefore weaken the entire case. | Other testimonies may form the basis by which the US extradition request could be dismissed. Computer forensic expert Patrick Eller was formerly lead digital forensics examiner with the US Army's Criminal Investigation Command in Virginia.

Tom Coburg (2020-09-27). Assange extradition court hears explosive testimonies that undermine US indictment and provide grounds for dismissal. thecanary.co Week three of the hearings at the Old Bailey for Other testimonies may form the basis by which the US extradition request could be dismissed. | No Assange-Manning conspiracy: | Compute…

yenisafak (2020-09-27). Armenia targets Turkish news team in Azerbaijan. yenisafak.com A team from Turkey's state-run news agency on Sunday came in the line of fire during a cross-border attack by the Armenian army on Azerbaijan.Anadolu Agency reporters went to the border areas in the wee hours of the morning to monitor the attacks on Azerbaijani civilian settlements.Two drones were spotted near the Kapanli village where the reporters were working.Shortly after, the Armenian army fired mortar shells which landed within a 100-meter radius from the reporters' work station.The team also had reporters from TRT, Turkey's state-run news channel.The reporters who threw themselves behind a vehicle escaped…

Alan MacLeod (2020-09-26). Julian Assange: Press Shows Little Interest in Media 'Trial of Century'. commondreams.org Protestors wear "#FREEASSANGE" face masks outside Belmarsh prison prior to Julian Assange's extradition hearing on February 24, 2020 in London. (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trial-of-century-ignored-media.jpg

WSWS (2020-09-26). Decision on Assange's extradition set for next year. wsws.org Accepting the defence's argument that any dramatic change in the facts surrounding the case before November 13 would have to be taken into account, Baraitser asked, "What impact on your case, say you, will the American elections have?"

_____ (2020-09-26). Assange Hearing: Judge Grants Defense Four Weeks To Prepare Final Argument. popularresistance.org 5: 49 am EDT: Judge Vanessa Baraitser has granted the defense four weeks to prepare it closing argument, saying that her decision would come after the Nov. 4 U.S. election one way or the other. She had been previously reluctant to give more than a week to the defense. | Baraitser set the date of final arguments for Nov. 16. Fitzgerald had told the judge that: | "It seems unlikely for you to make a judgement before Nov. 3 and you would have to bear in mind that the future is uncertain. Much of what we say about Trump is because this proceeding was initiated by Trump,….and some elements of the case would be worse…

Progressive International (2020-09-26). "We demand the immediate release of Julian Assange" zcomm.org PI Council Members support the freedom of Julian Assange against the unlawful and dangerous extradition trial against him currently taking place in London.

John Pilger (2020-09-26). The Extradition Trial of Julian Assange. zcomm.org The whole principle of the right to be free journalists is at stake…

Abdul Rahman (2020-09-26). Diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks helped CIA torture victim get justice. peoplesdispatch.org Wikileaks strengthened the case of Khalid El-Masri in the European Human Rights Court which handed first ever punishment to CIA operatives involved in rendition in 2012.

Derek Royden (2020-09-25). The (flawed) case against Julian Assange. nationofchange.org The many mainstream journalists cheering on his extradition may come to regret in the future when the American government comes for them or their sources.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-25). US computer forensics expert tear apart hacking conspiracy charge against Assange. peoplesdispatch.org Patrick Eller, who worked as a digital forensics expert for the US government, has pointed out Chelsea Manning's prosecution failed to find any proof of Assange's involvement…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-25). Assange's Thirteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies. dissidentvoice.org September 24. Central Criminal Court, London. The lion's share of today's Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange's extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-25). Assange on Trial: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies. counterpunch.org The lion's share of today's Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange's extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the

Craig Murray (2020-09-25). Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 16. globalresearch.ca On Wednesday the trap sprang shut, as Judge Baraitser insisted the witnesses must finish next week, and that no time would be permitted for preparation of closing arguments, which must be heard the immediate following Monday. This brought the closest …

_____ (2020-09-25). Report, Thursday, September 24: Julian Assange. popularresistance.org During the hearing of medical evidence the last three days, the British government has been caught twice directly telling important lies about events in Belmarsh prison, each lie proven by documentary evidence. The common factor has been the medical records kept by Dr Daly, head of the jail's medical services. There has also been, to put it at its very lightest, one apparent misrepresentation by Dr Daly. Personally, I am wary of the kind of person who impresses Ross Kemp. This is Mr Kemp's description of the medical wing at Belmarsh: "Security is on another level here with six times more staff per inmate than the…

Staff (2020-09-25). Representative for whistleblower in ICE detention centers sterilization case talks. therealnews.com Transcript: | Dawn Wooten: I became a whistleblower. Now I'm a target. But I'll take a target any day to do what's right and just, than sit and be a part of what's inhumane. | Eddie Conway: Nurse Dawn Wooten has emerged as a whistleblower in the state of Georgia after she reported in the ICE detention centers, some of them are privately owned. They had been sterilizing women for any reason whatsoever. | Speaker 3: You talk about, in the complaint, hearing from women who are detained there talking about a specific doctor performing hysterectomies, referring to him as a "uterus collector." Tell us about how y…

MEE correspondent (2020-09-25). Egypt sees 'day of rage' as thousands protest against Sisi across the country. middleeasteye.net Egypt sees 'day of rage' as thousands protest against Sisi across the country | Protests called by whistleblower Mohamed Ali have mostly taken place in villages due to the government's relentless crackdown on dissent | Fri, 09/25/2020 – 14: 30 | "Don't be afraid to say it: Sisi must go" is a chant used by the protesters who rose against the country's president since Sunday (Twitter) | P…

teleSUR (2020-09-25). Brazil: Volkswagen Acknowledges Persecution, Torture of Workers. telesurenglish.net Volkswagen announced that it agreed with the State of Sà£o Paulo to compensate its former workers for the damages it caused them during the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil between 1964 and 1985. | RELATED: | The German company pledged to grant US$6.5 million to promote initiatives related to the defense of human rights and the investigation of crimes committed during the dictatorship. Just over US$3 mi…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-24). Assange on Trial: Suicide, Hallucinations and Psychological Torture. counterpunch.org Day 11. Central Criminal Court, London. The prosecutors in the Julian Assange case did their show trial predecessors from other legal traditions proud. The ghosts of such figures as Soviet state prosecutor Andrey Vyshinsky, would have approved of the line of questioning taken by James Lewis QC: suggest that Assange, accused of 17 counts of

WSWS (2020-09-24). Assange's partner Stella Moris calls for Australian government to intervene in his defence. wsws.org "This is not something that the Australian government can just hide its head in the sand and say 'nothing to do with us.'"

Jonathan Cook (2020-09-24). The US is Using the Guardian to Justify Jailing Assange for Life. Why is the Paper So Silent? counterpunch.org Julian Assange is not on trial simply for his liberty and his life. He is fighting for the right of every journalist to do hard-hitting investigative journalism without fear of arrest and extradition to the United States. Assange faces 175 years in a US super-max prison on the basis of claims by Donald Trump's administration that his exposure of US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan amounts to "espionage".