December 13, 2021
Jill Stein and Doctors4Assange Lissa Johnson and Bill Hogan join CN legal analyst Alexander Mercouris to discuss the latest developments in the Julian Assange case.
Two days after the High Court of England and Wales allowed the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States, came news that the imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher had suffered a stroke on Oct. 27.
Not only is his freedom at stake, but his very life. Joining us to discuss these dramatic developments are CN legal analyst Alexander Mercouris and Doctors4Assange members Jill Stein, Bill Hogan and Lissa Johnson. Watch it live at 7 a.m. EST, noon GMT and 11 p.m. AEDT or later on replay with your hosts Elizabeth Vos and Joe Lauria. Produced by Cathy Vogan.
On Sunday, Doctors4Assange released the following statement:
DOCTORS FOR ASSANGE STATEMENT (12/12/2021)
Julian Assange’s fiancé, Stella Moris, announced yesterday that Mr. Assange had a “mini-stroke” on October 27, the first day of his latest extradition hearing, according to the Daily Mail. He was reportedly ‘left with a drooping right eyelid, memory problems and signs of neurological damage.’
This dangerous deterioration of Mr. Assange’s health underscores urgent concerns raised by Doctors for Assange over the past two years. Therefore, once again, Doctors for Assange calls for Mr. Assange to be released from prison so he can access consistent, high quality, independent medical care – something which is impossible for him to obtain in Belmarsh prison. We reiterate that Mr. Assange is in no condition to undergo an extradition trial. Further, extraditing him to the harsh conditions of the inhumane US prison system should be out of the question. He should therefore be immediately and permanently released from prison.
This latest medical emergency adds to the already dire state of Mr. Assange’s health owing to his prolonged psychological torture. This includes eleven years of arbitrary detention, medical neglect, solitary confinement, obstruction of access to his lawyers, and an Orwellian legal prosecution that has violated the rule of law and due process:
key accusations in the US indictment against Mr. Assange are marred by outright lies and a paucity of fact;
DOCTORS FOR ASSANGE STATEMENT (12/12/2021)
Julian Assange’s fiancé, Stella Moris, announced yesterday that Mr. Assange had a “mini-stroke” on October 27, the first day of his latest extradition hearing, according to the Daily Mail. He was reportedly ‘left with a drooping right eyelid, memory problems and signs of neurological damage.’
This dangerous deterioration of Mr. Assange’s health underscores urgent concerns raised by Doctors for Assange over the past two years. Therefore, once again, Doctors for Assange calls for Mr. Assange to be released from prison so he can access consistent, high quality, independent medical care – something which is impossible for him to obtain in Belmarsh prison. We reiterate that Mr. Assange is in no condition to undergo an extradition trial. Further, extraditing him to the harsh conditions of the inhumane US prison system should be out of the question. He should therefore be immediately and permanently released from prison.
This latest medical emergency adds to the already dire state of Mr. Assange’s health owing to his prolonged psychological torture. This includes eleven years of arbitrary detention, medical neglect, solitary confinement, obstruction of access to his lawyers, and an Orwellian legal prosecution that has violated the rule of law and due process:
key accusations in the US indictment against Mr. Assange are marred by outright lies and a paucity of fact;
he and his legal team have been surveilled by the CIA; and
Mr. Assange has been targeted by the agency in a plan to kidnap and assassinate him.
Throughout, Mr. Assange has been subjected to concerted character assassination through propaganda campaigns in mainstream media across the globe.
Assurances that Mr. Assange will not be subjected to harsh prison conditions by the very agency that has been plotting to kidnap and assassinate him are farcical. For the High Court to accept such a ludicrous proposition, describing the assurances as “solemn undertakings offered by one government to another”, calls into serious question the independence, impartiality and integrity of the UK judiciary.
The health of Mr. Assange and the health of our democracy, which depends on a free press and judicial integrity, are both in serious jeopardy. This shameful and deeply damaging case should be dropped now, and Julian Assange granted his long overdue freedom.
WATCH: Hedges on Assange Ruling With the Editor-in-Chief
December 12, 2021
Chris Hedges interviewed Consortium News Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria on his program On Contact about the High Court ruling allowing Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States. Broadcast before news of Assange’s stroke.
Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for 15 years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East bureau chief and Balkan bureau chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor and NPR. He is the host of the Emmy Award-nominated RT America show On Contact.
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former U.N. correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and numerous other newspapers. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London and began his professional work as a 19-year old stringer for The New York Times. He can be reached at joelauria@consortiumnews.com and followed on Twitter @unjoe
December 12, 2021
Chris Hedges interviewed Consortium News Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria on his program On Contact about the High Court ruling allowing Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States. Broadcast before news of Assange’s stroke.
Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for 15 years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East bureau chief and Balkan bureau chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor and NPR. He is the host of the Emmy Award-nominated RT America show On Contact.
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former U.N. correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and numerous other newspapers. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London and began his professional work as a 19-year old stringer for The New York Times. He can be reached at joelauria@consortiumnews.com and followed on Twitter @unjoe
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