Extradition hearing Sept 8 Morning
In the videolink Observation Room
First a comment about the experience of the witness yesterday - a complete shambles: the technology failed, the truncated time to go through his statement (half an hour rather than an hour & a half) resulted

In confusion as Summers tried to moto through it with the witness jumping to other parts of the evidence and the court unable to see him. So it was largely useless. Prof Feldstein is due back this afternoon.

Motor

Feldstein is the Defence journalism Expert witness. The Prosecution argues yesterday only factual witness (medical) should be accepted as the rest simply offer an opinion. Defence argued it is the basis of their opinion that is critical to establish.

We are being read a statement, including “you may not see the defendant at all times”. We got 2 glimpses the whole day yesterday.

Court I’d delayed by half an hour, so 10.30am start

Is. Sorry about my typing I shall endeavour to improve it!

We are in court now. Stella is there. Instead of @SwaziJAF today, @khrafnsson is sitting nearby

Perhaps it is @suigenerisjen in the corner next to @StellaMoris1
Image is somewhat blurred

@SwaziJAF in too now

Jackets on as time approaches

Judge enters

We don’t have a view of the back wall with the glassed area where Julian may be sitting already..

Here he comes. A bare glimpse

Delay due to Julian’s lawyers needing to see him

Summers: witnesses have been rejigged. Clive Stafford Smith on in the witness box

Summers questions him:
I’m a lawyer with Reprieve rep people facing the death penalty, secret detention, rendition, kidnapping, and litigation surrounding conduct in Iraq.
How have the classified WikiLeaks docs helped your work?

Drone killings in Pakistan as revealed by W cables - very important in litigation & big change in attitude to use of drones - Pakistani govt classed them as war crimes. Our country’s reputation is seriously damaged. Without the W docs, litigation would have been very difficult.

Cables disclosed attempts by the US to block investigations into renditions, torture & other crimes. Eg pressure on countries not to execute international arrest warrants.
US assassination program in Afghanistan & Pakistan, targets included journalists - unlawful & reprehensible

Guantanamo Bay: work with detainees - emergence of info that despite assurances, those detained there as a result of bounties rather than the worst of the worst terrorists. Difficult to establish this fact - evidence ..
(it’s very hard to hear anything he says unless repeated)

Evidence that some were entirely innocent - some of it came from @wikileaks that disproved what the US was alleging against my client.

It’s important to read this witnesses statement because it’s too hard to hear & I worry I am perhaps mishearing

He keeps repeating he accessed this docs on the NYT website.
The point was that if people knew what was going on there, it would be closed down he says
I would never had believed my govt would have done what they did, not just torture but murder.

Enhanced interrogation techniques & secret prisons- like techniques of the Spanish Inquisition.
Razor blades to genitals, but psychological torture was worse said my client.

The British govt actively avoided their responsibility (presume to his client).
@wikileaks disclosures - how did they help?
Where people were taken.

One client remains in Guantanamo Bay. Referring case to Int Criminal Court.
What has been the US response to investigations of ICC?
Threaten with sanctions so non Americans can’t/won’t testify against the US.

Lewis cross examining Stafford-Smith:
Your point is you believe the @wikileaks publications were in the public interest. Are you aware there is no defence in Britain for this under the Official Secrets Act?

You mention specific cables - there are no charges against Mr Assange for publishing the specific cables you refer to. Has the defence explained that to you? Have you read the indictment?

Washington Post & NYT published this cable a year after @Wikileaks
JA is not being prosecuted for those cables, how is it relevant to this case? There are other things that I haven’t spoken about yet Stafford Smith

Lewis says the only thing JA is charged with is for those cables that name people & risk their lives. Can’t hear SS’s response.
Lewis - that is not my point, there are people outed by @Wikileaks - the only Count relates to those cables. SS inaudible
Lewis - You are wrong.

Lewis - you cannot tell this court how to prosecute this case. SS disputing how the Count should be interpreted. SS explains how things happen in A,Erica when the case is conducted.
Julian is trying to speak. The judge says he can’t & needs to be advised by his lawyers about the

consequences if he doesn’t cease to speak.