Assange in Court: Judge refuses more time to prepare case.

Julian Assange - Denied Justice At Extradition Hearing

On Tuesday a remand hearing was held at Westminster Magistrates Court, concerning an application by the USA for the extradition of Julian Assange. A request by the defence for further time to prepare a case for Assange, was refused by the District Judge, Vanessa Baraitser.

The prosecution was conducted by James Lewis QC, who according to reports, was taking instructions from five members of the US Embassy who were present in court. It was reported that Julian Assange appeared to have shown signs of mental deterioration and struggled to give his name and address in open court. It was claimed that Assange had lost 15kg in weight and spends 23hours per day kept in isolation in Belmarsh prison and looked like  a "shambling and incoherent wreck."

The United States are seeking the extradition of Assange on the grounds that he conspired with Bradley Manning to publish the Iraq War logs, the Afghanistan War logs and the State Department cables. The prosecution argued that no consideration should be given to the claim by the defence that the charge was a political offence and therefore excluded by the treaty. A date for the extradition hearing was set for 25 February 2020 and will take place at Belmarsh prison where public access is strictly limited.

Among those present in the court on Tuesday, was Craig Murray, Britain's Ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2002-2004. Murray, a close friend of Assange, was dismissed from his job by the Foreign Office for highlighting the use of torture in that country. We are linking his report of the trial to this posting. Read More