Opinion by Mathew Carr
March 26, 2024 — The British judges deciding today on Julian Assange’s extradition case should at least have the humility to allow the European Court of Human Rights to look over Britain’s judicial work on the Australian-born whistleblower.
That’s if they have a real choice in the matter. It will also be up to the administration of PM Rishi Sunak. The UK is meant to be debating new whistleblowing protection laws April 19, but it keeps deferring it.
Stella Assange, Julian’s wife, said last month that Julian’s legal team will apply for an interim order immediately in the European Court of Human Rights to prevent any extradition, assuming that’s the decision [timing– expected today at 10:30am London time]…it seems that application is already prepared.
Yet there is a good chance Assange will be immediately sent to the US.
It’s a close call, but I think Britain will allow a review by the European court and not rush Julian out tonight on a flight.
It makes for excellent theatre in an election year, both here and in the US. US v UK v EU, sorta. Sunak might call an election very soon, as soon as today.
The US case against Assange is partly about Brexit, after all — the US wanted to wrest Britain away from Europe so it could more tightly control the global news narrative, which stems in large part from London’s media. The EU without Britain is weaker.
So I won’t be surprised if Britain immediately sends Assange to the US, its new post-Brexit paymaster. I hope I’m wrong.
The optics are not hopeful.
One of the two High Court judges who will rule on Julian Assange’s bid to stop his extradition to the US represented the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Ministry of Defence, Declassified reported last month.
In my own four-year whistleblowing case against New York-based Bloomberg LP, I argued I was fired for whistleblowing about its news narrative, which was designed to delay global climate action in a predatory way. I say predatory because US companies, Bloomberg customers as well as itself, have made a shit-ton of money as the climate crumbles because of their reckless behavior.
The main judge in my case, Judge Pavel Klimov, was facing his own private issues as he was meant to be focussing on my case. Klimov was having his legal services company liquidated during the rushed hearings involving my case against the media giant in early December 2021. See this redacted document:
Klimov found against me. I contend he was worried about other things, not my arguments. He didn’t really consider my case properly. I’m still fighting a cost order. It’s another massive miscarriage of justice.
Judges are human. They are open to influence, even though they are not meant to be. That’s my opinion.
That’s why Assange probably won’t win today. And winning probably just means he will get a “more proper” chance to appeal the extradition, anyway.
Britain needs to urgently restore independence to both its judges and its press.
Corporations and billionaires have ruled the people for too long.
This Assange court case can start the process of healing…but don’t hold your breath.
From last month, before the judges deferred their decision on the extradition.
(Corrects spelling of Klimov’s first name to PavEl)