Julian Assange loses attempt to delay extradition hearing
https://amp.ft.com/content/71ad23f8-f3f9-11e9-b018-3ef8794b17c6
Julian Assange’s extradition hearing will go ahead in February after a judge rejected pleas on Monday to allow more time to investigate allegations that the US state “intruded” into conversations between the WikiLeaks founder and his lawyers in the Ecuadoran embassy.
Mark Summers QC, acting for Mr Assange, told Westminster magistrates’ court that the February hearing should be pushed back to allow the legal team more time to investigate claims that the US had been “actively engaged in intruding” into conversations between Mr Assange and lawyers while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London from 2012 to 2019.
Mr Summers said there other alleged intrusions, which included “hooded men breaking into offices”. He did not give further details.
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Mr Summers told the court there was a criminal case in the Spanish courts involving the purported Spanish contractors used by the US. He also claimed that there “had been plans to kidnap and harm” Mr Assange.
He argued that the current US administration had “reinvigorated” the prosecution of Mr Assange as part of a “concerted and avowed war on whistleblowers” and as a warning to journalists and publishers.
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Wearing a blue sweater, white shirt and blue jacket with glasses pushed up on his head, a cleanshaven Mr Assange spoke haltingly and slowly as he was asked whether he had understood what had happened in the hearing and replied: “Not really.”
“I can’t research anything, I can’t access any of my writing . . . These people have unlimited resources . . . I am in fear of my life . . . This is not equitable.” he said.
He had appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court on Monday in person after being transported from Belmarsh prison where he is being held ahead of the extradition hearing.