Julian Assange's extradition case has been postponed and three-week hearing will restart on September 7, court hears
- Julian Assange's extradition case postponed and is likely to restart in September
- He is wanted in the US for allegedly conspiring to expose military secrets in 2010
- Start date for remaining three weeks of the hearing will be confirmed on Friday
Julian Assange's extradition case has been postponed and the hearing is likely to resume on September 7, a court heard.
The Wikileaks founder, 48, is wanted in the US for allegedly conspiring with army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to expose military secrets a decade ago.
District judge Vanessa Baraitser has ordered the Australian's case, which had been set for May 18, be moved from Woolwich Crown Court to another court and to resume in September.
'It's going to take some negotiation to find a Crown Court that is open in September, in the current climate, and willing and available to take this hearing,' judge Baraitser said in Westminster Magistrates' Court today.
The new location, which might be outside London, and start date for the remaining three weeks of the hearing will be confirmed on Friday.
Julian Assange's (pictured leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court on January 13, 2020) extradition case has been postponed and the hearing is likely to resume on September 7, a court heard
Assange is captured wearing two pair of glasses during the hearing on February 24, 2020. The Wikileaks founder, 48, is wanted in the US for allegedly conspiring with army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to expose military secrets a decade ago
Judge Baraitser delayed the May 18 hearing last week over her concerns that Assange and lawyers wouldn't be able to attend court in person due to the coronavirus lockdown.
She suggested July or August, but both prosecution and defence lawyers were busy during those months. Both parties support the delay until September.
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Lawyers didn't attend today's hearing due to the lockdown and Assange's representatives confirmed he was 'too unwell' to appear via videolink.
Assange’s lawyers have said they have been unable to take instruction from their client since the coronavirus outbreak.
Six journalists and six members of the public were in the courtroom. Journalists dialling in were accidentally left on mute and could only hear holding music for the entire hearing.
A sallow skinned and bearded Julian Assange was carried down the steps of London's Ecuadorian embassy last year after seven years inside, and was carrying a copy of 'Gore Vidal: History of The National Security State'
Judge Baraitser scheduled a callover hearing on June 1 if the Australian was well enough to attend via videolink. He will remain in custody until then.
She said: ‘Last week it became clear the May 18 hearing was at best uncertain and I adjourned the hearing until today for parties to take instructions. A likely start date would be Monday September 7 but I cannot confirm that today.
What is Julian Assange charged with in the US?
The US Department of Justice has charged Wikileaks founder Julian Assange with 18 crimes - 17 under the Espionage Act and one under computer hacking legislation.
Officials say Assange, as founder of WikiLeaks, endangered US informants in Iran, Syria, China, Iraq and Afghanistan by publishing unredacted documents that identified them.
The 18 charges against Assange, filed in Virginia last year, are:
Count 1: Conspiracy to receive national defense information
Counts 2-4: Obtaining National Defense Information
Counts 5-8: Obtaining National Defense Information
Counts 9-11: Disclosure of National Defense Information
Counts 12-14: Disclosure of National Defense Information
Counts 15-17: Disclosure of National Defense Information
Count 18: Conspiracy to Commit Computer Intrusion (Hacking)
‘A crown court will be made available in September but I cannot say which court this will be. It will take some time to impose firm arrangements so the best thing I can suggest is parties will be notified by email this Friday confirming the location and start date.
‘It’s likely to be a crown court in London but it will take some time to negotiate to get an open, not suspended, crown court.
‘We will do our utmost to make sure the defendant can attend. In 28 days unless he is unwell he must appear, as everyone does, over videolink.’
James Lewis, QC, for the US government, said: ‘We do need time for the American prosecutors to come over.
‘We think it is doubtful flights will have resumed earlier than then so we would rather have a September date because it gives more opportunity to have the American prosecutors actually in court.’
A US grand jury has indicted Assange on 18 charges - 17 of which fall under the Espionage Act - including conspiracy to receive, obtain and disclose classified diplomatic and military documents.
The charges carry a total of 175 years' imprisonment.
Assange's father John Shipton is delighted about the delay, saying it will allow family and supporters from Australia to attend.
He's also optimistic Assange might not be behind bars for the whole four months.
'I'm hoping there will be a very strong and firm bail application,' he told AAP. 'It appears his lawyers held the power in today's hearing and got the hearing dates they wanted, so it's a good sign.'
Last week Mr Fitzgerald told the court Assange is ‘facing the full power’ of the White House in a prosecution that had been influenced by Donald Trump.
Assange pictured in a prison van in April last year. Assange was granted political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 to avoid onward extradition to the US from Sweden for sexual offence allegations dating back to 2010 which he has always denied
He said: ‘This is an unprecedented case with obvious political and historical implications. The relevant defence expands over 10 years and several continents.
‘Our expert evidence is that the decision to prosecute by the US was influenced by senior members of the administration and the president of the US.
‘He is there for facing the full power of the US government. They have massive resources, they have a series of legal resumptions operating in their favour.’
Assange was granted political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012 to avoid onward extradition to the US from Sweden for sexual offence allegations dating back to 2010 which he has always denied.
In November Swedish authorities dropped the rape allegations but he was jailed for 50 weeks last April after breaching his bail conditions when the asylum period granted to him expired.
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