First modification:
This Thursday, October 28, the lawyer of the Australian computer programmer and journalist Julian Assange questioned the reliability of the promises regarding the care that the defendant would receive in the US prisons proposed by the US prosecutor who, in addition, asked not to have Take into account the diagnosis of the psychiatrist who evaluated Assange, who said he could have suicidal intentions.
This Thursday the second hearing was held in front of the High Court of London after an appeal filed by Washington of the sentence of January 4 that denied the extradition of the defendant Julian Assange for risking suicide. The opinion of these appearances will come out in a few weeks, with no confirmed date.
There, the defenders of the Australian, founder of the Wikileaks portal and accused of 18 criminal charges by the United States – including the espionage law after his site published classified documents and diplomatic cables – disbelieved the promises of the North American country about the treatment he will receive. the defendant if extradited from Great Britain.
Edward Fitzgerald, Assange’s lawyer, assured that the four guarantees that the prosecutor James Lewis proposed on Wednesday happened at the wrong time, he called them “vague and ineffective” and did not certify that his client, who has Asperger syndrome and some psychological problems such as depression, get the treatment you need.
In his presentation on Wednesday, Lewis – representing the United States – requested Assange’s extradition, claiming that his psychological state does not prevent him from testifying before the Justice of his country.
The US side also criticized the interpretation of the judge of first instance Vanessa Baraitser of article 91 of the British extradition law – which allows refusing the surrender if the state of mental health is bad because it would be “unjust and oppressive” – and the testimony of the psychiatrist Michael Kopelman.
The prosecutor said that Assange will not be subjected to special administrative measures (such as not being able to receive visits or mail) nor would he enter the ADX Florence prison in Fremont County, which is a maximum security prison. The other two promises: that he will receive the psychological treatment he needs and, if convicted, he can fulfill it in Australia.
Defense does not give credibility to the guarantees offered by the United States
Attorney Fitzgerald refuted these proposals, claiming that this does not prevent the detainee from being placed in isolation, being directed to another high-security prison, or from withdrawing the special administrative measures over time. In addition, he doubted that the medical offer would be enough to prevent a suicide attempt, something that was seen in other inmates of the same condition.
Finally, his transfer to Australia would only be tied to the closing of a long legal process that can be rejected by both countries and the oceanic ones did not even give indications of accepting a defendant by the United States Justice.
Assange’s defender vindicated the decision of Judge Baraitser and Kopelman’s diagnosis, whom they accused of deceiving the magistrate by omitting in the first report Assange’s relationship with Stella Moris and the fact that he had two children while he was in the London embassy of Ecuador.
The psychiatrist stated that it was not relevant to identify these people and violate their privacy since the relationship they had is not clarified and it was a problem for their safety.
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