[ad_1]
Does Julian Assange deserve up to 175 years in prison? Should he be extradited from the UK to the US? Fronts are bitter in the trial that began in London this week.
Julian Assange leaves a court hearing in January. Henry Nicholls, Reuters / NTB scanpix
For ten years, Julian Assange has had legal problems hanging over his head. This time it’s about the United States being able to get him extradited from the British. The Americans will prosecute him for hacking and espionage.
The riots inside and outside the legendary Old Bailey courthouse are expected to last four weeks. On Tuesday, Assange received a package from the judge after an outburst in the courtroom. He was warned that the case could be held without his presence.
Do you need a reminder of the legal twists and turns in this case? Here is a simple and concise overview:
Who is Assange?
He is a 49-year-old Australian activist, computer programmer and hacker. Assange founded Wikileaks, an organization that publishes secret documents, in 2006.
Julian Assange appeared at London’s Old Bailey on Monday, but failed to postpone the extradition case. Elizabeth Cook, PA / AP / NTB scanpix
When it appeared?
Assange really became a household name on the world stage when Wikileaks released a movie clip in the spring of 2010. There you could see that US soldiers in a helicopter shot and killed journalists and other innocent civilians in Iraq.
That same year, the organization published a large number of graduated military reports from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and from the Guantanamo detention camp. 250,000 internal notes from the US embassies were also published.
How were the leaks received?
The documents revealed the murder of innocent people, the mistreatment and torture of prisoners, and other serious abuses. Wikileaks was praised for the revelations.
At the same time, Wikileaks published large amounts of raw data without first examining the information. Thus arose the critics. They put people in danger, he told himself. For example, this applied to American agents abroad or Afghan civilians who had assisted the United States in the war against the Taliban.
When did the legal problems start?
The United States is said to have launched an investigation into Assange shortly after the documents were released. However, Assange’s legal troubles started with something else entirely. In August 2010, he was charged with rape in Sweden.
This case was pending from time to time in the Swedish legal system until November 19 last year. Later, the Swedish prosecution put it permanently in the drawer, justifying it on the grounds that the evidence had weakened over time.
Julian Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson (right) and Wikileaks founder’s partner Stella Moris arrive at the London court. Assange and Moris had two children while living in the Ecuadorian embassy. Frank Augstein, AP / NTB scanpix
But didn’t he sit for years in an embassy?
Yes. In June 2012, she applied for asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy, located just behind Harrod’s department store in London. She did this to avoid extradition to Sweden. Assange lived there until April 2019. He then lost his asylum status and was arrested by British police.
The British want him because he had circumvented the decisions of a British court in the case against Sweden.
The United States also wanted him extradited. This was the first public confirmation that the United States was looking for him.
Why does the United States want it?
The classified US documents published by Wikileaks had been leaked to them by Chelsea Manning, a US Army intelligence analyst at a base in Iraq.
Manning, who was acquitted as a “top secret”, was convicted of espionage. He was seven years old. The remainder of the 35-year sentence was remitted by President Barack Obama.
Journalists regularly publish qualifying information that they must have received because someone has broken the law. The United States prosecutors believe that Assange’s case differs from such cases. According to court documents, they believe he actively influenced Manning and helped her steal documents.
The penalty for which Assange is charged is up to 175 years in prison.
Julian Assange is charged with 18 counts by the United States federal government. Screenshot
Wikileaks elections hacked in 2016?
No, but Russian intelligence is said to have used Julian Assange and Wikileaks to blacken Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election. At least one 966-page report from a Republican-clothed Senate committee claims.
According to the report, internal emails from the Democratic Party were stolen by Russian military intelligence and later published by Wikileaks. The report also maintains that Wikileaks and Assange have formal ties to the Russian propaganda apparatus.
The role of Wikileaks in previous presidential elections was also mentioned in the report that former FBI Director Robert Mueller wrote after investigating the Trump campaign’s relations with Russia.
The allegations of interference in the 2016 elections are not part of the extradition case.
Vivienne Westwood, a veteran of British fashion, demonstrated outside the courtroom in London on Monday in support of Julian Assange. PETER NICHOLLS, Reuters / NTB scanpix
What is happening in London now?
The case of the extradition of the Wikileaks founder to the United States is expected to continue for four weeks. After that, it will probably be a few weeks or months before the decision is ready. After this, it is up to the appeal regardless of who wins.
Constant pressure from fans is expected while this happens. On Monday, Assange’s lawyers tried in vain to postpone the case. Then a few dozen followers appeared, including fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
“Julian Assange is the switch, he shines a light on all the corruption in the world,” he told reporters on the spot.
Various groups supporting Assange, including the free speech organization PEN, were excluded from the hearings on Monday.
Help us to improve, give us your opinion.
Give opinion
