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Prunesqualer (talk | contribs) →Hearings on extradition to the U.S.: Please see talk page (“Removal of Samaritans sentence” subsection). |
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The US Department of Justice stated that the new indictment "broaden[s] the scope of{{nbsp}}... alleged computer intrusions", alleging that Assange "communicated directly with a leader of the hacking group [[LulzSec]]{{nbsp}}... and provided a list of targets for LulzSec to hack", and "[conspired] with Army Intelligence Analyst Chelsea Manning to crack a [[password hash]]".<ref name="doj-assange-june-2020"/> Judge Baraitser denied motions by Assange's barristers to dismiss the new charges or to adjourn in order to better respond.<ref name="bbc-7-sept-2020">{{cite web |title=Julian Assange appears in dock as extradition hearing resumes |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54060427 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=28 September 2020 |date=7 September 2020}}</ref>
Some witnesses who testified in September, such as [[Daniel Ellsberg]], did so remotely via video link due to COVID-19 restrictions. Technical problems caused extensive delays.<ref name="nyt-specia-sept-16">{{cite web |last1=Specia |first1=Megan |title=At Assange's Extradition Hearing, Troubled Tech Takes Center Stage |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/world/europe/assange-extradition-hearing.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=28 September 2020 |date=16 September 2020}}</ref> [[Amnesty International]], [[PEN International|PEN Norway]], and eight [[members of the European Parliament]] had their access to the livestream revoked. Baraitser responded that the initial invitations had been sent in error.<ref name="nyt-specia-sept-16" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252489051/MEPs-denied-access-as-observers-to-Julian-Assange-extradition-hearing|title=MEPs denied access as observers to Julian Assange extradition hearing|first=Sander|last=Priston|publisher=Computer Weekly|date=15 September 2020|access-date=30 September 2020}}</ref> Torture victim [[Khaled el-Masri]], who was originally requested as a defence witness, had his testimony reduced to a written statement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuj.org.uk/news/assange-trial-hears-evidence-from-kahled-el-masri/|title=Assange trial hears evidence from Khaled el-Masri|first=Tim|last=Dawson|publisher=National Union of Journalists|date=25 September 2020|access-date=29 September 2020}}</ref> Other witnesses testified that the conditions of imprisonment, which would be likely to worsen upon extradition to the U.S., placed Assange at a high risk of depression and suicide which was exacerbated by his [[Asperger syndrome]].<ref name="Asperger">{{cite web|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252489508/Assange-has-Aspergers-syndrome-and-depression-court-hears |title=WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has Asperger syndrome and depression, court hears |work=[[Computer Weekly]] |date=23 September 2020 |accessdate=10 September 2021 |author=Goodwin, Bill}}</ref> During the court proceedings defence drew attention to a prison service report stating that a hidden razor blade had been found by a prison officer during a search of Assange's cell.<ref>{{cite web |title=Julian Assange faces 'torturous' months in parking space-sized cell if extradited to US, court hears |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/julian-assange-faces-torturous-months-in-parking-space-sized-cell-if-extradited-to-us-court-hears/ |website=PressGazette |date=28 September 2020 |access-date=5 September 2021}}</ref> During the proceedings it was also revealed that Assange had contacted the [[Samaritans (charity)|Samaritans]] [[Crisis hotline|phone service]] on numerous occasions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Julian Assange will not be extradited to US to face charges over WikiLeaks, judge rules |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/julian-assange-extradition-news-wikileaks-latest-us-b1781947.html |publisher=The Independent}}</ref>
Patrick Eller, a former forensics examiner with the [[U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command]], testified that Assange did not crack and could not have cracked the password mentioned in the U.S. indictment, as Chelsea Manning had intentionally sent only a portion of the password's hash. Moreover, Eller stated that password cracking was a common topic of discussion among other soldiers stationed at Forward Operating Base Hammer, suggesting that Manning's message was unrelated to the classified documents which were already in her possession.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2020/09/30/assange-extradition-cfaa-hacking/|title=Crumbling case against Assange shows weakness of 'hacking' charges related to whistleblowing|first=Micah|last=Lee|publisher=The Intercept|date=30 September 2020|access-date=4 October 2020}}</ref> Testimony on 30 September revealed new allegations surrounding the surveillance of the Ecuadorian embassy by UC Global. A former UC Global employee, who spoke anonymously fearing reprisals, stated that the firm undertook "an increasingly sophisticated operation" after it was put into contact with the Trump administration by [[Sheldon Adelson]]. According to the employee, intelligence agents discussed plans to break into the embassy to kidnap or poison Assange and attempted to obtain the DNA of a baby who was believed to be Assange's child.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/sep/30/us-intelligence-sources-discussed-poisoning-julian-assange-court-told|title=US intelligence sources discussed poisoning Assange, court told|first=Ben|last=Quinn|work=The Guardian|date=30 September 2020|access-date=4 October 2020}}</ref>
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