Trudeau's Demand: "the barricades must come down"
Kim Petersen | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-23
Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau has called the imbroglio between the Wet'suwet'en nation and Canada a matter to be decided by the rule of law.1 However, the Wet'suwet'en have refused to back down and have defied the British Columbia Supreme Court injunction allowing pipeline work to continue. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were sent …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/trudeaus-demand-the-barricades-must-come-down/

New conflict of interest evidence against UK judge in charge of Assange extradition process
wsws.org | 2020-02-22
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/22/judg-f22.html

European legal team will seek asylum for Julian Assange in France
wsws.org | 2020-02-22
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/22/euas-f22.html

Demonstration to free Julian Assange this Monday in Montreal
wsws.org | 2020-02-22
"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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/22/mont-f22.html

Govt wants 'what looks like a free press', not 'dissidents': Eno, Westwood & others speak about fighting for Assange's freedom
rt.com | 2020-02-22
Prominent public figures like designer Vivienne Westwood and musician Brian Eno, joined mass protesters against Julian Assange's extradition, saying his fate will have impact on press freedom and holding governments accountable. | "Julian is the Trojan horse. If he knocks a crack in that wall, we can get government to do all the other things they need to be doing, which they are doing the opposite of [right now]," British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood told RT. Thousands took to the streets near the British Parliament to protest the imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder ahead of a hearing next week to dete…
rt.com/uk/481475-assange-protest-brian-eno/

Ahead of Extradition Hearing, Hundreds March for Assange in London
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-22
LONDON–Hundreds of supporters of Julian Assange marched through London on Saturday to pressure the U.K. government into refusing to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the United States to face spying charges. | Famous Britons, including Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood joined the crowd protesting the U.S. espionage charges against the founder of the secret-spilling website. An extradition hearing for Assange is due to begin in a London court on Monday. | WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told a rally outside Parliament that the prosecuti…
truthdig.com/articles/ahead-of-extradition-hearing-hundreds-march-for-assange-in-london/

Bid to free Manning launched as explosive new evidence threatens to end Assange extradition
Tom Coburg | thecanary.co | 2020-02-22
Lawyers acting on behalf of imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning have lodged a motion, arguing for her release. This comes as WikiLeaks tweeted that Julian Assange's lawyers intend to produce 'bombshell' evidence at next week's extradition hearing. | Meanwhile, more evidence has emerged to further the argument that the extradition hearings should end on th…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/02/22/bid-to-free-manning-launched-as-explosive-new-evidence-threatens-to-end-assange-extradition/

How Bernie Sanders Will Destroy the Deep State if He Becomes President
Eric Zuesse | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-22
Joe Lauria at Consortium News headlined on February 21st, "Apparent US Intel Meddling in US Election With 'Report' Russia is Aiding Sanders", and he noted that, If the story is true and if intelligence agencies are truly committed to protecting U.S. citizens, the Sanders campaign would have been quietly informed and shown evidence to back …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/how-bernie-sanders-will-destroy-the-deep-state-if-he-becomes-president/

'Totally sane': Dems can't make up their minds about who is a supposed 'Russian agent'. Trump? Bernie? Or… both?
rt.com | 2020-02-22
Former presidential candidate Eric Swalwell performed mental gymnastics on CNN to defend Bernie Sanders over alleged help from Russia, claiming Moscow does it in order to help its 'agent' Donald Trump. | The Democrats' overuse of Russian collusion conspiracy theories appears to be collapsing in on itself. First Trump supposedly worked with the country to meddle in the 2016 presidential election

U.S. Intelligence agencies meddle in Nevada primary to sabotage Sanders
wsws.org | 2020-02-22
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/22/sand-f22.html

State Supreme Courts See Progress on Diversity but Still Fall Short
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-22
Tamika Montgomery-Reeves made history last fall when she was confirmed as the first Black justice on the Delaware Supreme Court. It was a small step toward improving diversity on state supreme courts nationwide, but it also highlights a glaring problem. | Her appointment is unusual, yet it shouldn't be

'Don't Extradite Assange' is the Shout at London's Streets
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-22
In London, hundreds of free speech activists Saturday marched from the Australia House to Parliament Square in support of Julian Assange who faces a court that will decide whether or not to be extradited to the United States. | RELATED: | Europe's Human Rights Watchdog Opposes Assange's Extradition | Beginning Feb. 24, London's Woolwich Crown Court will…
telesurenglish.net/news/Dont-Extradite-Assange-is-the-Shout-at-Londons-Streets-20200222-0004.html

Veteran "Four Corners" journalist Andrew Fowler denounces Australian government's refusal to defend Assange
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
"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.'"
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/afow-f21.html

Julian Assange's Attorney Speaks Out on the Hopes and Hazards of His Upcoming Trial in London on Feb. 24
Chris Agee | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-21
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"

UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
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.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/mcdd-f21.html

"Leave Our Bloke Alone": Australian Politicians, A Little Mission for Julian Assange
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-21
"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 …
globalresearch.ca/leave-our-bloke-alone-little-mission-julian-assange/5704042

John Pilger: Julian Assange Must be Freed, Not Betrayed
John Pilger | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-21
On Saturday, there will be a march from Australia House in London to Parliament Square, the centre of British democracy. People will carry pictures of the Australian publisher and journalist Julian Assange who, on 24 February, faces a court that will decide whether or not he is to be extradited to the United States and a living death. | I know Australia House well. As an Australian myself, I used to go there in my early days in London to read the newspapers from home. Opened by King George V over a century ago, its vastness of marble and stone, chandeliers and solemn portraits, imported from Australia when Austra…
mintpressnews.com/john-pilger-julian-assange-must-be-freed-not-betrayed/265037/

Assange's US Extradition Hearing Opens Monday: Fight for the Free Press Is Now On
Nozomi Hayase | commondreams.org | 2020-02-21
Should Assange die in a UK prison, as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has warned, he will effectively have been tortured to death. (Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/100.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/21/assanges-us-extradition-hearing-opens-monday-fight-free-press-now?cd-origin=rss

Defend Journalist Julian Assange from Extradition to the United States
Dr. Leon Tressell | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-21
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 …
globalresearch.ca/defend-journalist-julian-assange-extradition-united-states/5704262

The CIA's Complicity in Recent Global Atrocities Revealed
Robert Scheer | truthdig.com | 2020-02-21
In another astounding revelation about the extent of United States' global surveillance operations, The Washington Post recently published a piece about a Swiss company, Crypto AG, that was actually owned by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and West Germany's intelligence agency. Crypto AG provided encryption services to over a hundred governments worldwide for decades. Unbeknownst to those governments, the CIA had access to the encryption tools and could therefore read high-level inter…
truthdig.com/articles/the-cias-complicity-in-recent-global-atrocities-revealed/

'Hoax!' Trump hits back at latest claims that Russia will 'aid' his 2020 campaign
rt.com | 2020-02-21
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…
rt.com/usa/481415-trump-tweet-russia-2020/

Why Renew the "Ultra Secret" Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court?
Renee Parsons | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-21
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

Five Palestinian Detainees' Homes to be Demolished
Staff | imemc.org | 2020-02-21
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. …
imemc.org/article/five-palestinian-detainees-homes-to-be-demolished/

Drop Charges and Extradition Pursuit of Assange, Says Amnesty International, Denouncing US Govt's "Full-Scale Assault on the Right to Freedom of Expression"
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-02-21
"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 …
commondreams.org/news/2020/02/21/drop-charges-and-extradition-pursuit-assange-says-amnesty-international-denouncing?cd-origin=rss

New push on cyber 'security' laws
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-21
civil liberties Viv MileyIssue 1254 Australia privacy Bill of RightsFebruary 21, 2020Worried about online privacy? You should be. Not only are social media corporations spying on you, thanks to Australia's dra…
greenleft.org.au/content/new-push-cyber-security-laws

John McDonnell visits Julian Assange and slams his 'political persecution'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-20
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell visited Julian Assange at Belmarsh Prison on Thursday. | 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…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/02/20/john-mcdonnell-visits-julian-assange-and-slams-his-political-persecution/

"Leave Our Bloke Alone": A Little Mission for Julian Assange
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-20
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.'

The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court
Nicky Vogt | aclu.org | 2020-02-20
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. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vs. Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam considers whether immigrants are entitled to seek judicial review of their expedited removal orders in federal court. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with our argument that the Constitution guarantees that individuals deprived of their liberty have their day in federal court. | That decision w…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-supreme-court-will-decide-whether-asylum-seekers-receive-their-day-in-court

Barrister says 'democracy at stake' in Assange trial
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
civil liberties Pip HinmanIssue 1254 Australia WhistleblowersFebruary 20, 2020February 24 is the first day of Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing at Belmarsh Prison in London. The United States government will argue for his extradition to the US.
greenleft.org.au/content/barrister-says-democracy-stake-assange-trial

New blow to media freedom, whistleblowers
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-19
Fighting Fund civil liberties Jim McIlroyIssue 1254 Australia The Afghan Files AFP raid ABCFebruary 19, 2020Federal Court judge We…
greenleft.org.au/content/new-blow-media-freedom-whistleblowers

John Pilger: It is time for Julian Assange to be saved, not betrayed
John Pilger | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-18
The truth is that Australia could have rescued Julian Assange and can still rescue him. Leaders of his homeland who have…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/17/john-pilger-julian-assange-saved-betrayed/

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

Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-18
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…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/18/irin_carmon_harvey_weinstein_trial_nyc

John Pilger: Julian Assange must be freed, not betrayed
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-18
civil liberties John PilgerIssue 1254 Britain Julian Assange extraditionFebruary 18, 2020On February 22, there will be a march from Australia House in London to Parliament Square, the centre of British democracy. | People will carry pictures of the Australi…
greenleft.org.au/content/john-pilger-julian-assange-must-be-freed-not-betrayed

Protest Julian Assange's extradition
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-18
civil liberties Kerry SmithIssue 1254 Australia whistleblowerFebruary 18, 2020Australian citizen Julian Assange's extradition hearing is set to start at Belmarsh Prison, London, on February 24. | The United States government wants to extradite the journalist and whis…
greenleft.org.au/content/protest-julian-assanges-extradition

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

DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director’s Role in Russiagate

Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges
Neema Singh Guliani | aclu.org | 2020-02-12
Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers