Peace Strike "ON STRIKE FOR PEACE"

Statement on Julian Assange.
Monday 25th October 2021

UK judiciary throw out the US extradition case against Julian Assange 

Free Julian Assange from the US ‘Holding Pen’ which is Belmarsh Maximum Security Prison.

This is the sorry sad saga of Julian Assange and the plot to extradite him to the US to face 18 charges under the Espionage Act, facing up to 175 years imprisonment.

In Sweden from 2010 preliminary investigations began into sexual abuse claims by two women, which lasted for over 9 years and resulted in NO CHARGES and was concluded in both 2017 and finally again in 2019 with ‘No crime’ has been committed.

In November 2010 the Swedish police issue an International Arrest Warrant for Julian Assange through Interpol.

In December 2010 Julian Assange presents himself to a police station in London and is taken to an extradition hearing. He is remanded in custody. At a High Court hearing he is successful in being granted bail and is free to go.

Eventually, after several further court hearings, in 2012 The UK Supreme Court rules that Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden.

By August, Julian Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for fear of being extradited to the US via Sweden. Political pressure was building up during the 7-year period and eventually, in 2019 the Metropolitan Police entered the embassy and arrested Assange.

He was taken to Westminster Magistrates Court. He was charged for breaking bail which was linked to an international arrest warrant issued by Sweden. He was not in Sweden at the time the warrant had been issued, so had not absconded.
He now had to account for breaking the bail which in normal circumstances would result in a few days imprisonment or a fine.

A 50-week prison sentence was handed down, previously unheard of for breach of bail.

After successive court appearances, the US failed in their bid to have Julian Assange extradited.

He is currently still being held in Belmarsh maximum security prison in London awaiting an Appeal extradition hearing and its conclusion.

He was not released after the 50-week sentence, as would be expected, the judge ruled there was a risk he may abscond.

US lawyers will now need to make their Appeal case in the next High Court hearing in the Strand this Wednesday 27th October and Thursday 28th October to justify their extradition claim.
The US do not legally have to produce evidence of the crimes but do have to convince the court that there are grounds for the extradition, as set out in a 2003 extradition treaty with the UK.

What were the crimes?

Julian Assange and Wikileaks published sensitive, classified documents which exposed the true horrors of the ‘ War on Terror ‘ in the Middle East making known the war crimes perpetuated by US / UK.

In 2010 Wikileaks released:

Collateral murder video
Afghan War Logs.
Iraq War Logs

The general public were now witnesses to murder of innocent civilians and children

It has been said that the Afghanistan / Iraq wars produced the existence of Wikileaks.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Inter- American Court of Human Rights, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have all called for the immediate release of Julian Assange.

The UN special rapporteur on torture and ill treatment visited Assange with a medical team and found him in need of urgent medical attention.

100 doctors have signed a petition stating that Julian Assange is suffering physical and psychological effects from the severe treatment he has been subjected to in Belmarsh.

The last court hearing denied the extradition of Julian Assange on grounds of ” substantial ”risk he would kill himself if he were extradited…

It now transpires that the US government itself was planning to assassinate Julian Assange.

How can it be that we have a man in prison in this country, having served a sentence, yet still detained without charge?

How and why should the US be able to override our judicial system and have the power to keep someone in prison, which is beyond their own jurisdiction.

Britain is supposed to be a sovereign nation independent of the United States.
Why have we so foolishly signed our sovereign rights away???

If successful, the pending extradition hearing when concluded, would undermine journalism internationally and could lead the way to eroding democracy itself.

Julian Assange will die in prison – UK or US – unless we stand up now and say NO

Let us hope that justice is applied this week and Julian Assange is freed and reunited with his family.