Dear friend,
Today was Day 2 of Julian’s resumed extradition hearing in London. Media coverage is picking up a bit, but many major outlets are not paying attention. And U.K. magistrate Vanessa Baraitser’s abrupt decision to block journalists and NGOs from observing was troubling (we’ve covered it here).
There were some changes to today’s witness list. In the end, two expert witnesses testified on the public interest value of WikiLeaks disclosures and the journalistic protections the U.S. Constitution affords journalists and publishers.
Morning Session: U.S.-U.K. Lawyer Says WikiLeaks Publications Vital in War Crimes Tribunals
British-American attorney Clive Stafford Smith, the founder of Reprieve, took the stand to emphasize the value of WikiLeaks’ disclosures on drone strikes and torture. Litigation against the deadly drone programs, Stafford Smith argued, would have been nearly impossible without the information published by WikiLeaks. Stafford Smith also represented several Guantanamo Bay detainees, and he noted how WikiLeaks helped shed light on torture and other abuses.
Afternoon Session: Journalism Professor Says Leaks Are the “Lifeblood” of Investigative Journalism
Overall, it was a tense Day 2. Julian’s defense raised key points on the public interest element of WikiLeaks’ disclosures and on the constitutional protections that apply to newsgathering and publication. And the prosecutor’s obsession with portraying the charges in a very narrow light (i.e. Julian is only being charged with releasing certain documents that named names) tipped the prosecution’s hand and revealed the government’s fear that a broader discussion would embarrass the United States.
We’ll have more for you tomorrow as we continue to follow the hearings. You can continue to follow our coverage here and via Twitter on the Assange Defense feed.
Stay tuned,
Team Assange Defense
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário