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US Spying on Assange in Embassy May Weigh on Judgement
January 3, 2021
Sept.’s extradition hearing heard testimony of US spying on Julian Assange at the Ecuador Embassy, normally grounds to toss the case. The judge will have to consider the U.S. misconduct. Here’s our report from that dramatic day of testimony.
Journalist Stefania Maurizi speaking with Julian Assange in Ecuadorian embassy in London shot on UC Global surveillance tape.
US Intel Spying on Assange Detailed in Court,
Including Plans to Kidnap or Poison Him
Ellsberg Says Acts Are Similar to What Set Him Free
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
Sept. 30, 2020
United States intelligence discussed plans to kidnap or poison Julian Assange, the court was told on Wednesday.
After the prosecution said it was unable to do checks on the two anonymous witnesses from the UC Global case in Spain, defense attorney Mark Summers read out the testimony in court a day earlier than had been expected.
The first witness described how he worked for David Morales, founder of UC Global, and was a 50 percent owner. The witness discussed how in July 2016 Morales insisted on going alone to a security conference in Las Vegas.
When he returned to the Spanish offices, Morales spoke of a “flashy” contract with the Sands casino, owned by billionaire Sheldon Adelson to provide security on Adelson’s yacht. The witness said it did not make sense because the yacht already had security.
Morales told the office that the company, which had only one contract, to provide security at Ecuador’s London embassy, was now “playing in the big leagues.” He said the firm had “switched over to the dark side” in working with his “American friends” who will “get us contracts all over the world.”
The witness said he learned that Morales had an “illegal contract to get sensitive information about Julian Assange and the president of Ecuador.”
The witness said that Morales’ contact in Las Vegas was Zohar Lahav, the Israeli-American vice president for executive protection at Las Vegas Sands. Lahav had “agreed to cooperate with U.S. intelligence to provide them with information about Assange,” anonymous witness one testified.
More:
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/01/03/us-spying-on-assange-in-embassy-may-weigh-on-judgement/
