Julian Assange on trial: Wikileaks founder faces extradition to the United States

Hero or traitor? Julian Assange is divided. The hearing on the US extradition request begins today in London.

• Hearings on extradition of Wikileaks founder Assange begin on February 24.
• Donald Trump has the Wikileaks founder offered a deal?
• Julian Assange has been in a maximum security prison for months

Update from Monday, February 24th, 2020, 11.30 a.m .: Today, London is about Julian Assange's future. In the morning, the first hearing begins in the process of extraditing the Wikileaks founder to the United States . The 48-year-old is accused of disclosing secret documents and violating anti-espionage law in the United States. If convicted, the Australian could face up to 175 years in prison.

The hearings are initially scheduled to run for a week and will not continue for another three weeks until May 18. Only then will the court make its decision. Until then, Assange will remain in Belmarsh High Security Prison in east London.

His father John Shipton was allowed to visit him there for two hours yesterday. He cannot understand why his son is in prison: "He didn't commit a crime." His son's cell was searched on Sunday, the father told journalists. Shipton was accompanied by former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis , who had taken part in a demonstration for Assange on Saturday (February 22nd).

Assange, meanwhile, also received support from the Reporters Without Borders organization , which described a possible extradition to the USA as an "attack against freedom of the press". "Assange's results are public," said the managing director of the organization in Germany, Christian Mihr. Only in the first step was the decision about Assange's extradition legal. "But it is also a political decision - and that is very problematic," said Mihr of the German press agency in London.

In front of the Crown Court at #Belmarsh Prison, supporters of #Assange protest shortly before the process begins #FreeAssange pic.twitter.com/X5fwvw9ZXG

Donald Trump is said to have offered Julian Assange a pardon - for a counter transaction

Update from Thursday, February 20th, 2020, 7.40am: Does the dealmaker Donald Trump want to make a special deal again? The US President has allegedly offered a pardon to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange - in the event that Assange in return assures that Russia did not interfere in the US presidential election campaign in 2016. Assange's defense in a London court referred to a document that former Republican Congresswoman Dana Rohrabacher Assange had submitted to the President's offer, the British news agency Press Association (PA) reported.

In the document, Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson said Rohrabacher visited Assange in London and told him that he was offering "a pardon or other way out" on the President's orders. In return, Assange should assure that Russia "has nothing to do with the leaked emails from the Democratic Party". According to the PA, the judge approved the document as evidence.

The White House rejected Assange's lawyer Robinson's statement. Trump knows Dana Rohrabacher "as good as not," said spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham. The president had never spoken to the former MP on the subject or any other subject. The report is a "pure invention".

Assange lawyers speak in Paris about extradition proceedings

Meanwhile, Assange's lawyers will speak up a few days before the hearings on the US Justice extradition request to defend him. The French defense lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti wants to speak in Paris on Thursday (2.45 p.m.) about the coordination of Assange's defense at European and international level, other criminal lawyers and Assange's father John Shipton are also on site.

Julian Assange will be appearing via video link at Westminster Magistrates court this afternoon - now scheduled for 3pm GMT- for a final case management (administrative) hearing.

Extradition hearing begins 24th February

By Christian Stör

The sick Julian Assange continues to face extradition to the United States. His former colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg protested against it. FR editor-in-chief Bascha Mika spoke to him.

UN Special Rapporteur's allegations of torture against the Swedish and British judiciary have rekindled the debate over how to deal with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange *.

Russia wants to help Donald Trump win the US election - this accusation is not new. It was already circulating in 2016 and is now getting loud again.

* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

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