THE DAY OF BETRAYAL
April 11th, 2019 was a Dark Day in History. Ecuador sold Assange to the US and the UK. Their Dealings were Reprehensible.
A political asteroid collided in the life of Julian Assange last year, landing on the doorsteps of Ecuador’s embassy around 9 am. One year ago, Assange was abducted under the ruse of breaking UK Law. He was kettled for over 7 yrs, then betrayed by Lenin Moreno, President of Ecuador.
This blog will unpack how it all happened and what the implications might be.
The day before, Wikileaks held a press conference to outline a gross violation of Assange’s legal right to confidential communications with his lawyers and doctors along with his right to privacy. But the Solicitor-Client privilege really is the foundation of universal law and it’s been clearly breached. There was a blackmail offer, partial files disclosed and the press conference was published.
The week before, on April 4th, Wikileaks informed the world that Ecuador was making serious negotiations and plans to evict Assange from his refuge at the embassy in London.
BREAKING: A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told @WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within “hours to days” using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext — and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest.
There was heightened concern and more observers. The Assange legal defence team issued a statement warning that expelling him from the embassy would “violate international refugee law.”
“It will be a sad day for democracy if the UK and Ecuadorean governments are willing to act as accomplices to the Trump administration’s determination to prosecute a publisher for publishing truthful information,” the statement read. (per CNN)
Amidst the heightened rumours, Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the possibility as “fake news” and not based on reality. (CNN “The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry denied the rumors in a statement, calling them “fake news” and adding that the allegation of a deal with the UK “misrepresents reality.)” It also used the warning from Assange’s legal team as evidence of his bad behaviour.
Assange’s Ecuadorian Lawyer, Carlos Poveda, told CNN: “It could happen, the Ecuadorian government could apply the protocol to terminate his asylum. But this would be in coordination with the United Kingdom so his exit could be shown as a war’s trophy.” According to a Telegraph report, efforts to breach his asylum and human rights started in October 2018:
“Sources said it had taken the Foreign Office six months of “diplomatic engagement to get Assange out of the embassy”.
The anticipation ended when Ruptly filmed the police raid and unlawful removal of Assange in the equivalent of a “perp-walk”, in broad daylight around 10:15 am.
I’ve scoured the internet to piece together a timeline of that morning and the lead up to The Day of Betrayal. (my tweet from April 11, 2019). I’ll try to unpack the events as they unfolded.
According to Bloomberg, “ That morning, at 9:27 a.m., police entered the embassy and arrested him on the bail charge. From WSWS reporting: The German program “Panorama” cited an account by an anonymous WikiLeaks staffer who had been by Assange’s side [inside the embassy, witnessing events].
Assange had been called into the embassy’s conference room on the morning of April 11. Ambassador Jaime Marchan walked into the room, flanked by security guards and Ecuadorian secret service personnel. He read aloud a letter declaring that Assange’s asylum and Ecuadorian citizenship had been revoked and that he needed to exit the embassy immediately. Marchan and his security detail walked out of the room.
“Panorama” reported that when Assange and his colleague opened the door of the conference room, they “could see that a group of men and women, including members of the Metropolitan Police, were just outside, apparently waiting for him.
“Assange declared that the reversal of his asylum and citizenship were a violation of the Ecuadorian constitution, and that he wanted to appeal. He got up to return to his room.
“Assange’s assistant was shoved aside; Julian Assange was tackled, handcuffed and brought to the front door of the embassy.”
I have looked for the actual arrest warrant that the UK Met Police would have used to justify Assange’s arrest on April 11, 2019 (Day of Betrayal) but all links have been scrubbed or blocked. Could someone help find the actual arrest warrant? Was it served to Assange that day?
Context is Key. The UK was asked to withdraw its threat to arrest Assange for not reporting to Belgravia Police Station in June 2012. Here is an excerpt from an court ruling which puts the entire “bail breach” issue into context. The presiding judge was Emma Arbuthnot. (see Flogging of Julian Assange)
Background
3. The extradition of Mr Assange to Sweden was ordered by this court on 24th February 2011. Various appeals were then dismissed and on 28th June 2012 a notice to surrender to Belgravia Police Station was served on Mr Assange who by then was resident in the Ecuadorian embassy. He did not attend the police station and a warrant for his arrest was subsequently issued by this court.
4. On 26th May 2017 following discontinuance of the underlying Swedish proceedings and the cancellation of the arrest warrant issued in Sweden, the European Arrest Warrant was withdrawn before Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Issue 5. The sole issue for me to consider at this stage is whether the warrant issued under section 7 of the Bail Act 1976 (“the Act”) can remain in force when the extradition proceedings have terminated and no proceedings under section 6 of the Act have been initiated
Assange’s arrest was under the ruse of a conflated bail breach. It’s that simple. Arbuthnot’s soliloquy is spectacular in its twisted GaslightingAssange. Her conflict-of-interest in the case is outlined here.
VIDEO of time outside police station where Assange was “booked” for two reasons: bail breach and provisional arrest on behalf of the United States. Assange can be seen around 11:30 mark when the Ruptly reporters runs along the police van for photos.
Assange had only 15 min. with his lawyers after the abduction prior to appearing in court. It was insufficient time to prepare any evidence or legal defence. Then he was transferred directly to Belmarsh max. security. Later he was hauled before court again and insulted for …
- …. not having presented evidence or a defence in his case. He was scolded and bull-dozed before Judge Deborah Taylor in a UK court. The entire thing happened to Assange, after “Capture Shock”, public humiliation and lies by Ecuador President Lenin Moreno. IT IS DISGUSTING.
READ: Judge Deborah Taylor’s remarks (script) from May 1, 2019 from UK Judiciary website. Actually read it now. https://twitter.com/JudiciaryUK/status/1123545517508710400 … FreeAssange UK omitted Taylor’s accusation that he was “charged” but it was not on the record.
Important blog by @greekemmy detailing her pursuit to correct the record, or even get the record of that hearing. READ HER SUMMARY HERE https://wiseupaction.info/2019/10/10/the-sentencing-remarks-by-district-judge-taylor-illustrate-bias-against-julian-assange/ … FreeAssange
The WSWS account is worth a read:
During a brief hearing Judge Snow gave voice to the state vendetta against Assange, attacking the award-winning journalist as a “narcissist”, telling him to “get over the US” and “get on with your life” and describing as “laughable” his claim he had not received a fair hearing.
Craig Murray was interviewed by WSWS, saying:
What we have seen today is extraordinary. It’s amazing that you can be dragged out of somewhere by armed police and within three hours brought up before a judge and found guilty of a crime involving a serious jail sentence. There was no jury and no chance to mount a proper defence or have a proper hearing.
It is clear the judge was extremely prejudiced. It was very short hearing today and he cannot possibly have formed during that time his judgement that Julian Assange is a ‘narcissistic personality’.
That plainly shows that he must have formed his judgement from what he had read in the media before he ever came into the court. That judgement could not possibly be formed in the few minutes in the court. There are serious reasons to question Judge Snow and about the quality of justice that has gone on here. It is a case of extreme prejudice. There is no way anyone could call what has happened a fair trial.
He later wrote a blog about this the day after Assange was abducted. READ: https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2019/04/chelsea-and-julian-are-in-jail-history-trembles/ … FreeAssange
The basis of Assange’s defense was that he couldn’t expect a fair trial in British courts as the U.K.’s purpose was to “secure his delivery” to the United States. This is the ongoing basis of Assange’s defence. AssangeCase FreeAssange
In a final barbed remark, the District judge Michael Snow suggested Assange should ‘get over to the US’ and ‘get on with your life’. Is there a transcript of this diatribe? FreeAssange
According to CNN, “A lawyer for the US government said officers went to the embassy at 9:15 a.m. local time (4:15 a.m. ET). The ambassador then revoked Assange’s asylum and met with him at 10 a.m. (5 a.m. ET). [At the same time, his Ecuadorean citizenship was rescinded]. The [US] lawyer said officers tried to introduce themselves, but Assange barged past them in an attempt to return to a private room.
He was eventually arrested at 10:15 a.m. (5:15 a.m. ET) but resisted and had to restrained, leading to dramatic scenes of British police hauling him by force out of the building. After being lifted into the waiting police van, he was taken directly to a police station where he was formally arrested.”
According to The Sun, “He now faces a battle against extradition to America where he was today charged in his absence with “one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the US”.
The Met Police said: “Julian Assange, 47, (03.07.71) has today, Thursday 11 April, been further arrested on behalf of the United States authorities, at 10:53hrs after his arrival at a central London police station. This is an extradition warrant under Section 73 of the Extradition Act.”
“The MPS had a duty to execute the warrant, on behalf of Westminster magistrates court, and was invited into the embassy by the ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government’s withdrawal of asylum,” the Met police said in a statement. That statement is no longer available online. I got the quote here.
In an article “What Happens Now That Julian Assange Has Been Arrested — Twice” a succinct summary of events is outlined:
The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could face extradition to the United States after being arrested twice in London on Thursday.
Assange had spent seven years holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy, where he had diplomatic asylum to prevent being extradited to Sweden to face sexual molestation and rape inquiries. On Thursday, Ecuador finally gave him up to the police, who arrested him for bail-jumping. He was then re-arrested. Shortly afterwards, the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled hacking-conspiracy charges against him.
Assange was arrested on a ruse that he breached bail. The UK had a secret note from the US that there was a sealed indictment.
“Julian Assange, 47, has today, Thursday 11 April, been further arrested on behalf of the United States authorities, at 10:53 hrs after his arrival at a central London police station,” the police said. via @globalnews.
If you reconstruct last April 2019…
April 5, Assange suspected he would be evicted
April 10, Press conference held to expose a Massive Spy Operation against Assange, outlining bribes and blackmail
April 11 Asylum revoked based on breach of living protocols (around 9 am)
April 11 unpacked further:
10 am UK police enter embassy
Assange is reluctant to leave the embassy
UK police abduct, remove and transport him to police station
UK claim his arrest is for bail breach and it is confirmed by Sajid Javid on Twitter
by almost 11 am, US indictment is unsealed but Assange’s lawyers weren’t aware until much later.
I am unsure of the exact sequence of events but from news reports + testimony —
Assange only had 15 min. to prepare a defence with his lawyers
Was put in a fish tank dock (out of reach of lawyers) — waited a while
Faced Judge Michael Snow
Snow based his judgement on bail breach
Assange may or may not have known at that point that the US indictment was unsealed.
Snow made a big point during the hearing that Assange had no reasonable excuse to abscond bail, while simultaneously behind the scenes, THE US UNSEALED THE VERY INDICTMENT HE FEARED.
It makes absolutely no sense that Judge Snow would tell Assange his fears were unfounded, brand him as a self-interested narcissist, WHILE the US charges were being unsealed. The epitomy of GaslightingAssange
Once the hearing on bail breach was finished and he was found “guilty” and ordered to be imprisoned in a MAXIMUM SECURITY prison for murderers and terrorists, then Assange and legal team found out it was really about the US charges, not UK bail breach. IT WAS A RUSE. A LIE.
It was a slight of hand.
A lie.
A pretext for getting Assange detained in a maximum security prison on the false claim that Assange deserved disproportionate prison conditions for a minor infraction.
He was then taken to Westminster Magistrates Court within hours of the arrest on Thursday. He gave a thumbs up to the press while going inside wearing a dark suit with his hair tied back. He reportedly appeared calm and confident when a judge asked him where his lawyers were.
He pleaded not guilty to failing to surrender to custody as required for an extradition order to Sweden.“Ecuador’s former President, Rafael Correa, told CNN that the revocation of Julian Assange’s asylum is “incredible.” “It’s incredible. We cannot imagine something like this. It’s against international law; it’s against the institution of asylum; it’s against the Ecuadorian constitution, especially because since last year, Julian Assange has had Ecuadorian citizenship,” Correa said.
Correa was in power when Assange requested asylum. He told CNN he agreed to shelter the WikiLeaks founder “not because we agree with what he did” but because “it was very clear that he didn’t have the opportunity to have a fair lawsuit, a fair process in the US.”” [ibid]
The Department of Justice released a statement on Thursday [April 11, 2019], announcing a criminal charge against Julian Assange, accusing him of conspiring to hack into a classified US government computer. The charge relates to Assange’s alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States,” the Justice Department said in a press release. The United States DOJ in its indictment stated the charges Assange faces in the US and added that he faces up to five years in prison.
This is a fantastic summary of the events of Julian Assange by Courage Foundation on April 11, 2019.
“The Minister of state for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, after Assange’s arrest, said: “It is absolutely right that Assange will face justice in the proper way in the UK. It is for the courts to decide what happens next.” Sir Alan added that they were grateful to Ecuador’s government under President Lenín Moreno for their action which led to Assange’s arrest. He also revealed that today’s events follow “extensive dialogue between our two countries.”
Here is a formal statement delivered to UK Parliament by M.P. Javid, concerning the Arrest of Julian Assange. Nausea alert. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-04-11/debates/0650F0B8-1D1E-4FD5-8E6D-9A94FE112986/ArrestOfJulianAssange
This is a draft that I wanted to publish as soon as possible. I got sidetracked with my research and COVID related issues. I will update this shortly.
Other useful links: UK Home Office Statement
For now, read through the links. Piece it together. Here is a twitter thread from a BBC reporter who was in the courtroom.
Four things happened a year ago.
Assange asylum revoked.
Assange’s Ecuadorean citizenship revoked.
Assange arrest for bail breach in UK. Take the time to read just how *serious* an offense this was in a classic “GaslightingAssange” court appearance.
Provisional arrest on behalf of US for extradition. Here is the U.S. Department of Justice statement, from the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA).
It was all a blur. The entire day was humiliating and GaslightingAssange on steroids.
I can’t imagine how his legal team felt.
The one year anniversary of Assange’s abduction from Ecuador’s embassy is 22 days away. The Day of Betrayal was April 11, 2019. He has been locked in a max. security prison, restricted legal access and medical care. His immune system is weakened and he must be evacuated. Assange
Today, surely, is a difficult day for Julian Assange who is at the moment suffering in a prison cell, terrified of becoming infected by COVID19, isolated for 23+ hrs per day, tortured, exhausted and unjustly detained. Is there any hope in all of this darkness?
In the words of Craig Murray, former UK Ambassador
One good thing, if you wish, that has come out of this is that now we are talking about extradition. We can now see what all of this is really about. It is about freedom of the press, about Julian being charged with publishing the revelations made by Chelsea Manning. From day one this has been about the United States wishing to lock Julian up for the Chelsea Manning leak exposing serious American war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The whole Sweden case has been a charade. It has always been about whether a journalist should be punished for publishing leaked documents showing a government offending against international law.
I am hoping, maybe a long-shot, that the media pundits of a liberal disposition will realise that this is a fundamental threat to press freedom. If anyone who publishes a US leaked document wherever they are in the world can be dragged to the US and imprisoned, then the American government is going to have impunity for its crimes for ever more. All journalists must decide where they stand on this fundamental test of media freedom.
Take some time to watch this video a few days after Assange’s arrest. What’s behind Ecuador’s betrayal of Assange? (Ben Norton) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7qZWva5lj8&feature=emb_logo
I’ll give Snowden the last word: https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1116288726601277440