Frontline club London - debating the situation of Julian Assange

Nederlands ondertititeld. On the eve of what could be the last trial on British soil in the extradition case of the United States vs. Australian journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, an information evening was held at the Frontline Club in London. After a heartfelt welcome by Frontline Club owner Vaugh Smith, Chris Hedges (moderator); Stella Assange (Assange’s spouse); Jennifer Robinson (lawyer) and Kristinn Hrafnsson (WikiLeaks) discussed the current state of affairs of the Assange trial and answered questions from the audience.

During the trial that took place on the following two days (February 20 and 21, 2024), High Court judges Victoria Sharp (President King’s Bench Division) and Jeremy Johnson would hear arguments from both sides, in order to decide whether Julian Assange may appeal against the first ruling by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, and protesting the verdict of High Court Judge Jonathan Swift and extradition confirmation by, then, Home Secretary Priti Patel. A date for the judgement has not been set.

Baraitser, although blocking Assange’s extradition to the U.S. on mental health grounds, had found Assange guilty of the 17 charges under the Espionage Act (all relating to normal journalistic practice), as well as the one charge relating to (conspiring in/inciting) hacking. The U.S. is seeking Assange’s extradition on the basis of documents published in 2010, and intend to try him under the Espionage Act.

In 2010, Assange published a trove of documents leaked by U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. The documents revealed war crimes committed by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, unlawful treatment and torture practices in Guantanamo Bay Prison and diplomatic cables.

This conversation is subtitled in Dutch. You can turn on subtitles in Rumble and YouTube.