China News Service, February 29 (Li Hongyu) After a four-day trial, WikiLeaks founder Assange's comprehensive hearing on extradition to the United States came to an end. At the hearing, the defense parties fought fiercely on such issues as "whether Assange's" disclosure "is illegal" or "whether Assange can be tried fairly".

But as a party to the case, Assange, 48, could only be a "bystander" in court, but did not have the opportunity to defend himself ...

What "news" have been revealed in court these days by lawyers from both sides? What will happen to Assange's extradition trial? What kind of ending will Assange eventually face?

Data Map: Assange.

Attorney in both courts

-US extradition request approved based on "lie"?

On the 24th, in a protest, a high-profile hearing opened at the Woolwich Criminal Court in London, England, which opened a trial on whether to allow the US government to extradite WikiLeaks founder Assange.

U.S. government lawyers who requested extradition charged Assange with more than ten counts in court. He is accused of conspiring with a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Manning to invade the Pentagon's computer systems and to distribute documents containing the identity of secret sources in Iraq and Afghanistan.

US lawyer James Lewis said that a large amount of classified material released by Assange exposed "informants to danger", and his actions actually helped the "enemies" in the United States, because many secret American informants "disappeared after the confidential documents were exposed Up. "

The United States also alleged that they had found documents released by Wikileaks in Osama bin Laden's residential area during a raid on Al-Qaida's founder Bin Laden in 2011.

Data map: On May 1, 2011, local time, US President Barack Obama announced that bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, had been killed. The picture shows the television news of a US Army soldier in the US Army following Obama's speech.

In response, Assange's team of lawyers countered, denying that Assange's disclosure of confidential documents was intentional "putting life at risk". Lawyers also stated that in 2010, WikiLeaks reached cooperation with the British "The Guardian", the "New York Times" and other media to revise and publish 250,000 leaked materials.

Assange's other lawyer, Mark Samos, said, "In the process, the US government and the State Department provided the media with suggested amendments." Moreover, Assange and a colleague had tried to warn the then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton is about to happen.

Summers said the U.S. government knew all this, but then they said that Assange "willingly put life at risk". He concluded, "Does this extradition request fairly reflect what the U.S. government knows? The answer is obviously no."

Data map: On April 11, 2019, British police arrested WikiLeaks founder Assange.

How did Assange feel in court?

——Lawyer: The United States considered "poisoning" Assange

At the hearing, the situation regarding Assange also became one of the focus. After the first day of the hearing, Assange was handcuffed 11 times, and the documents related to the case he read during the trial were confiscated after returning to prison. Counsel complained that these acts interfered with Assange's ability to participate in the case.

Assange's legal team also said that extradition would be "extremely inhumane", and Assange would face long prison sentences and "most likely commit suicide."

In addition, according to the records of the hearing on the 25th, Assange's lawyer Fitzgerald told the judge that Assange had been secretly monitored and monitored at the private meeting of the lawyer at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, and that U.S. intelligence agencies have also considered in Assange Murder in hidden embassy: "They discussed whether more extreme measures should be considered, such as kidnapping or poisoning Assange in the embassy."

On the third day of the hearing, when the judge asked Assange that he felt okay, Assange responded as follows:

"I ca n’t talk to lawyers confidentially, and the accused party spends 100 times more time communicating each day. I was a participant in this hearing, but in fact was the same as the audience at the Wimbledon Tennis Open. ). "

The judge responded that the accused was generally not allowed to speak unless he chose to provide evidence and defend himself.

On February 24, local time, people in the San Francisco Bay Area met outside the British Consulate General in San Francisco and demanded the release of Julian Assange, the founder of the "WikiLeaks" website. Photo by Liu Guanguan of China News Agency

Hearings in the hustle and bustle

-Supporters rally in support of Assange

At the hearing, the two sides of the defense quarreled with each other and refused to give up. Outside the court, Assange's supporters shouted loudly and even interfered with the hearing of the hearing.

On the first day of the hearing, hundreds of supporters reportedly chanted "Leave Assange!" Outside the court, District Judge Vanessa Ballese had to call on the crowd to lower the volume because they disrupted the trial process.

Assange then stood up from the dock and said, "I am very grateful for the public support, I know they must be very disgusted ..."

But the judge prevented him from speaking, instead letting his lawyer Fitzgerald speak for him.

Fitzgerald said, "Assange said that because of the noise outside, he couldn't hear and couldn't concentrate."

However, British media reported that people outside the court had almost never stopped supporting Assange.

Mr. Assange's father Shipton was also in support of the team. He said, "The person who has suffered after ten years of arbitrary detention is Julian. I am here to support you. After this afternoon, I can go home for a cup of coffee. But reporter Julian Assange will return to him for 10 consecutive years The cell that has been staying. "

People as far away as the San Francisco Bay Area have also assembled outside the British Consulate General in San Francisco, demanding the release of Assange. Protesters shouted the slogan "Release Julian Assange" and took turns using loudspeakers to express their support for Assange.

Data Figure: Assange

The long trial is behind

——What will Assange face next?

On the 27th, after a brief discussion on the date of the follow-up hearing, the court adjourned before 3 pm. The first phase of a comprehensive hearing on Assange's extradition has come to an end.

The next phase of the extradition hearing will resume on May 18, at which time the court will call witnesses and cross-examine. The process is expected to continue for 3 weeks. The final ruling may be released in August.

Assange's lawyers believe that once Assange is convicted, he will face a maximum sentence of 175 years. Assange's father, Shipton, also previously stated that his long term impaired his son's health and extradition to the United States was equivalent to his death sentence.

Although the first phase of the extradition hearing has ended, the trial that determined Assange's fate is far from over. Regardless of the final outcome, it is expected that the losing party will appeal. This means that where Assange will eventually go, the results will not be reached in a short time. (Finish)