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Okay, I’m not done yet (still furious). The barriers we’ve faced monitoring proceedings in Assange’s case are extensive and evolving, and cannot be purely coincidence or incompetence, as it’s been at 3 separate courts and happened pre-Covid too. The common factor is the judge.
It is the judge who refuses to recognise NGO observers as different to the public & who revoked NGOs’ remote access. When we face barriers on entry, court officials say the judge set the (arbitrary) limitations on numbers. She even set the freezing temperature at the Old Bailey.
I won’t speculate yet on the outcome of the extradition proceedings, as I sincerely hope that justice will prevail and that the system isn’t as broken as I fear. But one has to question what is the motive in making even a 90-second hearing so unbelievably difficult to observe.
I’m used to taking on dictators. Have been kicked out of an authoritarian country. I never thought I would experience that same sort of feeling here in the UK. But now I’m channelling that energy into making sure this is witnessed and documented. It feels historically important.
We all know Arendt’s description of the “banality of evil”. But I often think of @ETemelkuran‘s take on the “evil of banality”. I’m convinced that these ever-shifting barriers are intended to discourage anyone from looking too closely at this case. Again, one has to question why.
Actually, do read @ETemelkuran’s #HowToLoseACountry. “It can’t happen here” is never true, anywhere. It is happening here - but there’s still time for our judicial system to work and/or our political leaders to do the right thing. I really, truly hope they will.
Rant over (for now). But if you’re reading this and are still silent on Julian Assange’s case, please reflect honestly and open-mindedly on why that is, and do something about it. Speak out. Act. Especially those in the “mainstream” media. We very urgently need you now.
And do spare a thought for Julian Assange, who is currently freezing in Belmarsh prison (where officials won’t give him his winter clothes from prison storage), and locked in his cell surrounded by dozens of Covid infections on his block. So utterly unacceptable.
