WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange must be released after ‘inhumane’ bail refusal
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s hopes for freedom have been dashed after a judge refused him bail despite a decision to block his extradition to the United States.
District judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected an application for Assange’s release with strict conditionals over concern he would abscond.
It follows a decision that he should not be extradited to the US on mental health grounds due to the risk of suicide.
Assange will have to remain in custody as the US government is appealing against Monday’s extradition ruling.
Announcing her bail decision at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Baraitser said: “As a matter of fairness, the US must be allowed to challenge my decision and if Mr Assange absconds during this process they will lose the opportunity to do so.
“Mr Assange still has a huge support network available to him should he again choose to go to ground.”
Read on...
On Twitter, many people expressed outrage at the decision. Canary journalist John McEvoy who’s been reporting on the case tweeted:
The decision not to grant bail to Julian Assange is callous and cruel. Not only is he a mental health risk, but he suffers from a chronic lung condition while Covid-19 is rampant in Belmarsh prison.
Shame on the British legal system. pic.twitter.com/nfvQtHJwte
— John McEvoy (@jmcevoy_2) January 6, 2021
Matt Kennard highlighted the need for a public inquiry:
We need a wide-ranging public inquiry into the British legal system's handling of the Assange case.
Nothing has been normal from 2010 onwards. From the CPS to Westminster Magistrates Court, we need the truth.
— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) January 6, 2021
And MP Richard Burgon demanded his release:
Julian Assange must be freed from prison today.
It would be inhumane for him to be held in jail while the US again tries to extradite him for exposing war crimes.
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) January 6, 2021
Meanwhile, outside the court, The Canary captured the reaction from Assange’s supporters:
Featured image via Pablo Navarrete for The Canary
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This decision is grossly unfair, but not unsurprising. We have a long way to go yet before Julian is safe.
I am shocked that no one is making a constant reference to Starmer’s Part in Julian Assange’s arrest, at the mention of either name! I get the feeling that the MANY ‘we’d rather ANY Labour Government than the Tories’, Labour the Brand Worshippers, would rather cover their own eye to blindly walk into a Government 10 times worse than the Conservative Tories!
90% PLP are Neolabour, Thatcherite Neoliberal!
10% PLP are UK Labour Party, Democratic Socialist!
THAT is NOT the Left and the Right of the same Party THAT is 2 Parties UK Labour Party with a Parasite Party, that consumed 90% and is feeding off the Labour Brand!
By voting for the 10% Good Democratic Socialists we end up with a basket of 90% rotten Fruit! Take the 10% out and we have a smaller Party but a 100% Democratic Socialist Party with voices so Powerful and standing up for the People so much more respectively than the entire 90% Neolabour Tories!
Right now we need a party who will make Julian Assange HEARD!
We need a Party not based on fear of what can or can’t be said!
We need a Party who will be upfront in saying F**K YOU Establishment and your Masters the Elites!
We do NOT need a party who caused and are in support of THIS and a Party trying to remove people freedom of speech ie the Vaccine etc!
How can anyone in their right mind think that Labour, as it is, with 90% Starmer like TORIES is a better option!
Starmer probably spent last weekend helping to prepare Julians outcome and planned future dark Trilateral Commission secrets, it is totally sickening!
Our 10% could lift the HoP roof on this, instead of pussyfooting around Starmer’s Fear Tactics, the Zionists and Israel Lobby!
Yes, Assange probably wouldn’t be in prison were it not for Starmer putting pressure on the Swedish prosecutor. Starmer also blocked prosecution of the individual police officers who killed Jean Charles de Menezes.
Yep! I worry that too many people are either not aware of the Evil that Starmer & Co are or simply refusing to face it, for the sake of The “Labour” Brand, replacing one evil with a worse evil, blindly!
If there are people thinking Blair was not that bad, perhaps remind yourself by reviewing his ‘Reign’ now shove his head full of years of experience of Loopholing International Law, et Voila! Keith LOOPHOLES Stalin and his Merry Mob of “Starm-Troopers”, [ref w/t lanterndude]!
Think about the implications for Middle East Peace, The Palestinians!
I bet many of his most ardent supporters or even People prepared to vote for him have #FreeJulianAssange/#FreePalestine on their Twitter handles!
Madness! Utter Madness!
How does a coffee monger become judge and jury in a persecution case? “Mam the people are starving!” Barista, “Let them eat crepe, oh and release the Starm Troopers”.
Cake has been my staple diet for more than 5 years, I decided as I am in a dire situation I will take MA’s advice, Now I am considering Crepe as an Alternative :):):)
…and who is Ma anyway?
“…who on earth is Vanessa Baraitser? Craig Murray refers to her obliquely as ‘this daughter of dissidents from apartheid’. After five weeks of research using every known engine and browser, below is the one family picture I have been able to find of her sibling, Lisa, who is a theatre producer:
Vanessa is a local magistrates’ Court Judge, and was elevated to such dizzy heights on 13th October 2011. The family were apartheid dissidents in South Africa, and her father is an eminent geneticist. The only picture we have of Judge Baraitser herself is of her bum getting on a bike after the day’s proceedings. Go to #VanessaBaraitser on Twitter, and you will find every researcher having the same problem: she isn’t on any social media, she doesn’t have a driving licence, she appears to have a sibling working for the media in Berlin. That’s it.
The family are card-carrying North London Metrochic Leftlibs. But only VB is The Woman Who Never Was. Which obviously makes one suspect a security connection…”
(https://therealslog.com/2020/03/03/extradition-showtrial-julian-assange-is-a-curates-egg-but-magistrate-vanessa-baraitser-is-a-rotten-apple-from-central-barrel-casting/)
;o)
Re (https://therealslog.com/2020/03/03/extradition-showtrial-julian-assange-is-a-curates-egg-but-magistrate-vanessa-baraitser-is-a-rotten-apple-from-central-barrel-casting/)
the comments are very informative.