With Julian Assange facing an extradition hearing on May 2, Consortium News Radio speaks with international law expert Francis Boyle, professor at the University of Illinois.
Francis Boyle on the U.S.-UK extradition treaty and the way forward for Assange. (30 minutes).
International Law Professor Frances Boyle’s description of United States Attorney General William Barr – Mr. Barr holding one of the most important positions inside the Donald Trump administration and American government – is absolutely horrifying and chilling.
Sam F. – I understand that as of today, according to Mrs. Assange, Julian is not yet allowed visits even from his attorneys at the prison!
It appears then, that the failure of UK agents to permit Assange to be read his US Miranda rights (to representation and against self-incrimination) before interrogation (by anyone) voids any use of his own statements, and may void US charges against him. That is because testimony under interrogation is “presumptively” coerced, in violation of Amendment V. That would include any statement by Assange since he sought refuge in the embassy. But of course the judiciary of the US dictatorship will make up special exceptions and secret processes regardless of Constitution, law, and precedent.
Isn’t he facing some sort of hearing in the UK on the 26th?
How can an EU country extradite anyone to a country with the death penalty?
Mr. Boyle notes that preventing that apparently requires action in the ECHR (Euro. Court of Human Rights) but an action must be started there, to prevent extradition under MLATs (multilateral legal assistance treaties). He noted that the UK Home Secretary can deny extradition, but that is unlikely unless Corbyn wins, which he thought unlikely.
Perhaps any EU country annoyed with the US and not vulnerable to its sanctions, could extradite Assange on a serious fictitious charge and let him go, but UK might ignore that.
It would be interesting to see EU sanctions against the US result, but that would be costly to them. The EU and China would likely have much less vulnerability to US sanctions and bribery if the US could be prohibited from selling bonds there, or to their nationals anywhere. Soon the US could not afford its balance of trade deficit, sanctions, or wars of aggression. A win-win.
Always a pleasure to hear from Prof. Boyle.
Thanks for the interview Joe
Let’s just expect that shipping Assange to Gitmo would be politically damaging & bad PR, so maybe not.
However, as Prof. Boyle says ‘all bets are off’
Sad that the boot-licking Australian Govt. won’t do a damn thing for their own citizen. Zbig B. was right when he called theses countries “vassals”
Arjen Kamphuis was Wikileaks/ Cybersecurity expert. He “disappeared” while on vacation in Norway last August when he checked out of his hotel. He hasn’t been seen since. Was he renditioned by the US and now being tortured in Gitmo?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/world/europe/wikileaks-arjen-kamphuis-disappearance.html
Clearly Mr. Assange’s lawyers should immediately object to extradition in the ECHR. Then we hope that a Corbyn win allows a Home Secretary to block extradition.
They should object in the US to use of the AUMF as an excuse to apply the Espionage Act when no declaration of war exists. Otherwise it nullifies the First Amendment, and we descend into totalitarianism. Only interference with a defensive war is sufficient.
The complete capture of US mass media and elections by the dictatorship of gold has ended democracy in the US. Glory be to Gold. When China and others refuse to buy US bonds, it will be unable to buy dictatorship by mortgaging our children’s future. But it is too late to save democracy, or to restore it without prolonged disasters.