2020-02-22: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-22). 'Disgusting joke' & mockery of the law: Julian Assange has ZERO chance of fair trial if extradited to US, Roger Waters tells RT. rt.com Julian Assange's extradition to the US would sound the death knell for both investigative journalism and the rule of law, Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters told RT ahead of a march organized in support of the WikiLeaks publisher. | With his extradition proceedings set to begin Monday, Assange faces 175 years in an American prison cell under the Espionage Act for his work with WikiLeaks, which has published thousands of pages of classified government documents since its founding — including evidence of US war crimes. But with the UK government intent to "feed him to the wolves," Waters said Assange's case…

WSWS (2020-02-22). European legal team will seek asylum for Julian Assange in France. wsws.org Members of imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist Julian Assange's legal team, together with Assange's father John Shipton, held a press conference on Thursday in Paris.

WSWS (2020-02-22). Demonstration to free Julian Assange this Monday in Montreal. wsws.org "This case is tremendously important and holds serious implications for journalism, free speech and human rights around the world," demonstration organizer Elizabeth Leier told the WSWS.

BayAction2FreeAssange (2020-02-22). Global Protest Call Monday 24 Feb To Demand Freedom Of Julian Assange. indybay.org British Consulate General | 1 Sansome Street | San Francisco, CA | Along with Belmarsh Prison, London and UK embassies and consulates around the world…

WSWS (2020-02-22). New conflict of interest evidence against UK judge in charge of Assange extradition process. wsws.org Fresh evidence has emerged that the chief magistrate overseeing the extradition trial of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has received financial benefits from organizations connected to the UK Foreign Office.

WSWS (2020-02-22). Intelligence agencies intervene in US elections to link Sanders to Putin. wsws.org On the eve of Nevada Democratic caucuses, the Washington Post reported that "US officials" told Sanders the Russian government was working to aid his campaign.

sputniknews (2020-02-22). Vivienne Westwood: 'If Julian Assange Goes Down, It's the End of Justice'. sputniknews.com Protesters have been gathering in London to support WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on the eve of the first hearings into his possible extradition to the United States to be held at Woolwich Crown Court.

RT (2020-02-21). 'Hoax!' Trump hits back at latest claims that Russia will 'aid' his 2020 campaign. rt.com US President Donald Trump has slammed the recently reported (but unsubstantiated) claims that Russia will interfere to help him win the 2020 presidential election, saying the rumors are just "another misinformation campaign." | The New York Times and other media reported on Thursday that Moscow is "aiding" Trump in the upcoming election, citing only anonymous intelligence officials. | Cable networks like MSNBC and CNN instantly amplified the unverified claims, setting in motion another round of 'Russiagate' conspiracy theorizing, almost eleven months after the two-year-long Mueller investigation found no evide…

Dr. Leon Tressell (2020-02-21). Defend Journalist Julian Assange from Extradition to the United States. globalresearch.ca On Wednesday Wikileaks editor Julian Assange appeared at a Westminster court for his final case management hearing before his extradition hearing which begins on 24 February. | The U.S. government will present its case arguing for Assange's extradition to face 17 …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-02-21). "Leave Our Bloke Alone": Australian Politicians, A Little Mission for Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca "I think that now it is time that the government I am a part of needs to be standing up and saying to both the UK and the US: 'enough is enough, leave our bloke alone and let him come …

Johanna Ross (2020-02-21). Did Trump Offer Assange A 'Quid Pro Quo' regarding "Russiagate" and the DNC Troves? globalresearch.ca A revelation in Westminster Magistrate's Court on Wednesday sent shockwaves through the mainstream media. It is being widely publicised that in 2017 US President Donald Trump offered Julian Assange a pardon if he was to declare that Russia had not …

Chris Agee (2020-02-21). Julian Assange's Attorney Speaks Out on the Hopes and Hazards of His Upcoming Trial in London on Feb. 24. globalresearch.ca Assange's legal advisor Renata Avila joins Gray Zone investigative reporter Max Blumenthal, Black Agenda Report founder Glen Ford, and Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins in Randy Credico's acclaimed radio series, "Assange: Countdown to Freedom" — hosted by CovertAction Magazine …

WSWS (2020-02-21). Veteran "Four Corners" journalist Andrew Fowler denounces Australian government's refusal to defend Assange. wsws.org "The persecution of Assange is an attack on anyone who speaks out against the power and authority of the United States. It is a warning to every journalist: 'Pull your head in. Shut up. Don't question.'"

WSWS (2020-02-21). UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison. wsws.org McDonnell described the Assange case as "one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation," but made clear that his party will do nothing to mobilise the immense popular support that exists for the WikiLeaks publisher.

Renee Parsons (2020-02-21). Why Renew the "Ultra Secret" Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court? globalresearch.ca As the emerging Quantum World continues to shake reality as we once knew it, it is no coincidence that the ultra-secret FISA Court has been unwittingly thrust into the public spotlight of the FBI Russiagate scandal — exactly where it …

Staff (2020-02-21). Five Palestinian Detainees' Homes to be Demolished. imemc.org The Israeli Supreme Court today gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for the military to demolish the family homes of five Palestinian detainees allegedly involved in the killing of a settler in late August 2019. All five are from the Ramallah area, and are serving long terms in Israeli prison camps. …

pip.hinman (2020-02-21). New push on cyber 'security' laws. greenleft.org.au

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-02-21). Drop Charges and Extradition Pursuit of Assange, Says Amnesty International, Denouncing US Govt's "Full-Scale Assault on the Right to Freedom of Expression" commondreams.org "The potential chilling effect on journalists and others who expose official wrongdoing by publishing information disclosed to them by credible sources could have a profound impact on the public's right to know what their government is up to." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/amnesty-drop-charges-assange.jpg

Staff (2020-02-20). Headlines for February 20, 2020. democracynow.org Democratic Contenders Take Aim at Billionaire Michael Bloomberg in Nevada Debate, Protesters Interrupt Nevada Debate to Demand Immigration Discussion, Michael Bloomberg Made Transphobic Remarks in 2019, Bloomberg Campaign NDAs Could Prevent Reporting of Abuses, U.N. Warns of Unfolding Humanitarian Catastrophe in Syria's Idlib, German Far-Right Gunman Kills 10 in Frankfurt Suburb, China Expels Wall Street Journal Reporters over "Racist" Op-Ed, Trump Taps Ally Richard Grenell as Director of National Intelligence, As Roger Stone Faces Sentencing in Federal Court, Trump Hints at Pardon, Julian Assange's Lawyers: Trum…

The Canary (2020-02-20). John McDonnell visits Julian Assange and slams his 'political persecution'. thecanary.co Shadow chancellor John McDonnell visited McDonnell said of Assange's case: I think this is one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation, in fact longer. … | The way in which a person is being persecuted for political reasons, for simply exposing the truth for what went on in relation to recent wars. | And he stressed: We don't believe that extradition should be used for political purposes. And all the evidence… demonstrates that this is a political trial, and we're hoping…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-02-20). "Leave Our Bloke Alone": A Little Mission for Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org I think that now it is time that the government I am a part of needs to be standing up and saying to both the UK and the US: 'enough is enough, leave our bloke alone and let him come home.' — George Christensen, Australian conservative MP, Sydney Morning Herald, February 19, 2020 An odd …

Nicky Vogt (2020-02-20). The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court. aclu.org In March, we will be in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the right to a day in court for asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens. That decision w…

pip.hinman (2020-02-20). Barrister says 'democracy at stake' in Assange trial. greenleft.org.au

teleSUR (2020-02-20). Europe's Human Rights Watchdog Opposes Assange's Extradition. telesurenglish.net WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States because it would have a chilling effect on press freedom, a European human rights chief said on Thursday. | RELATED: | Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner, said Assange's case raised questions about the protection of people who publish classified information in the public interest, exposing human rights viol…

RT (2020-02-19). A year in jail & quarter million fine since, lawyers seek freedom for Chelsea Manning refusing to testify against WikiLeaks. rt.com Chelsea Manning's attorney has filed a new motion requesting her release from jail, where she has been for nearly a year for continuously refusing to testify before a grand jury against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. | Manning's incarceration has "exceeded its lawful scope" by moving from being a coercive tactic to a criminal punishment, her lawyer Moira Meltzer-Cohen said in a Manning was jailed in March of 2019 for refusing to testify before a gran…

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). New blow to media freedom, whistleblowers. greenleft.org.au

Alexander Rubinstein (2020-02-18). While demanding Assange, US refuses to extradite CIA agent who killed British teen. thegrayzone.com High-ranking CIA agent Anne Sacoolas is charged with killing a teenage British citizen. While the US demands Julian Assange's extradition,…

John Pilger (2020-02-18). John Pilger: It is time for Julian Assange to be saved, not betrayed. thegrayzone.com The truth is that Australia could have rescued Julian Assange and can still rescue him. Leaders of his homeland who have…

Staff (2020-02-18). Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement. democracynow.org A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a New York hotel, for which he has been charged wit…

Susan Price (2020-02-18). John Pilger: Julian Assange must be freed, not betrayed. greenleft.org.au People will carry pictures of the Australi…

pip.hinman (2020-02-18). Protest Julian Assange's extradition. greenleft.org.au The United States government wants to extradite the journalist and whis…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Neema Singh Guliani (2020-02-12). Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges. aclu.org Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers — forcing a showdown between surveillance | reformers and defenders. And now, a group of Republicans and Democrats have | unveiled the strongest comprehensive reform proposal that we have seen | yet. | The Safeguarding Americans' Private Records Act of 2020, introduced by a

Aaron Maté (2020-02-11). Exclusive: New leaks shatter OPCW's attacks on Douma whistleblowers. thegrayzone.com Facing accusations that it issued a doctored report alleging a chemical attack in Syria, the OPCW has released an inquiry…

CounterSpin (2020-01-17). Chip Gibbons on FBI vs. 1st Amendment. fair.org Media…