a huge day for wiki leaks founder julian assange. rules against extraditing him. because of mental health concerns but as the current editor in chief of wiki leaks points questions over press freedom. with when. we have. 4 journalists. the u.s. has already announced it will appeal the court's decision we've been speaking to.

whatever reason it's fantastic. he's got nothing to tell the truth. just because he's a terrific. decision could potentially. walk free. nation in the un. that still sends a chilling message. and succeeded. in the world. that. you have to. keep a secret and maybe you don't know.

welcome to our teacher national on this the 1st monday of 2021 people having with us mining's even though. we begin with breaking news on the program a british court house rejected a u.s. extradition request for julian assange much due to concerns about his mental health washington says' it will appeal the decision and still wants to try him on charges of espionage is the president of mexico offered political asylum to the wiki leaks founder now let's have a look at the reaction of a son just supporters side the courthouse when the 1st dick was made. i mean yes. it's true i was you are you. are are you. was of.

as long as julian has to endure suffering in isolation as an unconvicted prisoner in belmarsh prison and as long as our children continue to beat the rest of their father's love and affection. we cannot celebrate. we will celebrate the day he comes home a glimpse of hope. the new year and hopefully a new era. it is a day. when. we have. a window for journalists and. we have absolutely that was was she having read eunice on does not fit in the story a moment outside the for her was charged. to actually do it

you know so much to the united states it has been a decision based on was meant to house friends indeed it was 6 to be extradited to the united states it is a very unexpected result because my judgment to the last moment the judge had said that the case was not politically motivated he said she said that he would not he would face in the united states under the u.s. constitution for that 11th hour the judge actually said no to do so and would not be actually i said to the united states that it really is incredible scenes. just heard from star morris the partner of judy in the sun she says actually right now we cannot fully celebrate we can only fully celebrate when judas sarge is court but this is the 1st step to justice we've also heard from the wiki leaks editor and cheap christian who roughed her up to and he said i can yet it's not when featured in just yet nor when for journalism just yet but there should be more pressure

applied on to the united states for the u.s. government to finally say enough is enough because of course judah soldier has been wanted by the united states for his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the united states and if he were to be found guilty he would have been sentenced up to 175 years behind prison that's under the u.s. is indictments of 18 counts under the espionage act for spying and publishing tons of 5 documents all related to the war in iraq and afghanistan plus one of conspiracy to hack a government computer to publish these documents as well though according to today's sun just defense the united states was trying to prosecute yunus on the political grounds it was a politically motivated case a set of course if it is politically motivated that would therefore mean that you know so much was exempt from actually titian under the u.k. you asked extradition treaty how as the prosecutor said the absolute opposite that it was not politically motivated and in fact curious songe endangered the lives of

hundreds of thousands of people for publishing these classified documents so although today is a victory in essence for june a songe as the judge did of course say that it was not politically motivated enough to serious concern for journalism going forward on the future of journalism as well i spoke to rebecca vincent from reporters without borders and she says that journalists need to be protected so we read the very much and share the court's assessment of his serious mental health arrests but we're concerned that the rest of the decision leaves the door open for possible other prosecutions on similar grounds because in. well that point until she came to that point of the decision it seemed very much that the case would have been in favor of the prosecution so without the mental health issues at play somebody else in that same situation could have indeed been extradited to the u.s. to face charges there so this pointed out broader systemic issues that need to be addressed the not the astronaut act must be reformed it locks a public interest offense to any publisher any journalist any source finds himself

subject to similar proceedings they cannot adequately defend themselves so the 3rd it hit today was one thing story medical grounds of course students soldiers defense team said that he was totally unfit to travel to the united states both in terms of his physical how auntie's mental how the post in a song has been rolled up in london's ecuadorian embassy for a whopping 7 and a half is that he was put into a belmarsh prison for almost 2 years so his mental and physical health has been seriously deteriorating but it wasn't just his mental and physical health here in the united kingdom but what could happen to him if he were to be sent to the united states he would have had to serve that sentence if found guilty and convicted in any text colorado jail that's one of america's most notorious jails in fact home to some of the world's worst criminal lost a large truck killed terrorist you name it there in that most notorious prison and that's exactly what you did a soldier was going to be had it so that huge sentence that prospect of the future like that was something that really bent the judeans mental house was really at

breaking point i his lawyer says that he was having suicidal tendencies and kills hundreds of times a day so that is pretty much the key reason why the judge today said that that is a future that's a fate that he was not going to be facing having said that as i do mention it's not in terms of journalistic freedoms we're still out a point where the fact is not over just yet we understand that a decision on whether or not you're in a search will be granted bail or not will come on wednesday and of course the united states is at healing at this verdict today. they still are on the hunt for a tutor sergeant as they still want to see it due to start acting like it to the united states to go back to really isn't over yet but in time to supporters campaign is that outside the criminal court here today it wasn't just doing a search that was in the dock but actually the fundamental tenets and principles of the rights and freedoms of expression that the press but also for the public to

access information as well so it is a big day for 2 years but there's still a long way to go when it comes to journalistic freedom. let's go live now on the program to the u.k. our loan program director for the blueprint for a free speech in geo neil me called the neil me good to see you. go humans. has been going on for almost a decade now you've been closely interlinked so closely linked to the central protagonist in it what's your overriding feeling today after the court in london well i'm going happy i was really quite surprised pleasantly surprised. and describe rates and came into court about half 10 today and she spent a long time going through her ruling in the past including in which she basically agreed with the prosecution case for. turning to the medical evidence and a greenish accepted all of the medical evidence and on much basis would not extradite your innocence the united states and that's

a fantastic result it's actually in some ways the strongest result she could have come up with and i think it's going to be i think an appeal court is not going to want to untangle her is not didn't want me visit her view of the medical evidence on appeal it's a very strong result indeed. even though there will be considerable pressure from the u.s. to to to pop out to an appeals court you don't think that that's going to be a big issue when i you know we're not out of the woods yet but. what the. almost uniquely as the defense put forth a whole list of extremely good arguments went into not the action on the united states they emphasized the free press argument expression arguments they emphasize the very politicized nature of u.s. prosecution and you know openness and the sort of frankly illegal. lengths the u.s. has gone to to try and get hold of. a lot of this

a lot of the obviously raise a sort of beyond the reach of a junior judge in an in a person says that tradition or the job of this judge is just apply the u.k. actually actually now the medical evidence mental evidence comes up next edition cases all the time so this is part of judge great his bread and butter and she is well capable of making a finding of the facts on these very well trodden kind of issues and in fact you know one of the significant things about this ruling is how closely it mirrors what happened there not actually which i was very closely associated with that's a british and it's computer scientist larry love the reasoning of great his country it's almost identical to the appeal ruling in larry love it's a very clear precedent and nurtured in some of the ruling has been that julian's mental health is such that the u.s. prison system cannot be trusted to keep him alive and that's exactly the ruling that prevailed in our lives case as well. as you say that decision was made solely

based on a song just poor mental health with the judge rejecting his defense he was protected under freedom of speech but brings up the other issue doesn't that for investigative journalism and press freedom what does that mean for the whole of the plot wasn't if front and center focus today. right so i think we have to remember this is an extradition ruling but it's not ruling based on evidence you don't have to do you have to show here because you know it's actually that someone a man an extradition order to be at this level there is typically a lot of deference shown to the argument to call it by by the united states or in the questing state so there is no presidential value so all of those are all of the findings on press freedom issues i think some women in relation to the status of what she is accused of under the official secrets act i think that's what quite daunting actually and not really in accordance with what the latest thinking is on that but in essence it doesn't matter it doesn't really have any of that from any

other case i understand it's not a great to have in writing from a judge in the u.k. court but in terms of direct impact on other cases no it doesn't have that mean other than possibly an extradition but there's no that the state doesn't form a precedent anywhere else is that there's a person since court no other courts in the future will look to this ruling for what it should i'm not sure if i'm right in saying this but within 48 hours he could actually be be free well away from near total isolation where he has been for the past 9 years at least he's been through so much during those years what do you think naomi he's going to do what he want to stay in the same kind of life he before he went into the ecuadorian embassy subsequently prison what's next for him. oh it's a good question and i couldn't start venture an opinion about where his head is at the moment he might need some time to recover and i think that he's someone who you

have lots of interesting ideas about how to change the world i'd like to think that given some recovery time to settle in a place you come up with another brilliant idea about how to. change the world would all be shocked and surprised and impressed by what he's come up with i mean that's what i'd like to. have another act and in there and come up with something new and different in the last number of weeks on the program i've been doing a lot of stories about donald trump pardoning prisoners but you know whistleblowers were among the list do you think that the current united states leadership could actually pardon julian assange before he leaves the white house. i think it's an interesting question i mean and how today's ruling plays into that again is another interesting question i think it's certainly possible it's really been a lot of pressure brought to bear including on people quite close to trump as i

understand it. whether it's likely to happen is i on this i honestly don't know in some ways i'm more interested in the attitude of the incoming light and ministration to this prosecution i think at some level although i have no illusions about whether they're from the studios who i think they're probably not i suspect they don't want. espionage act case on publication coming you know why i think it's way to the supreme court under a bad presidency i think they might but nothing harmful and whatever it might almost likely also i think to be at this internation to interfere directly. so lots of interesting questions there i can give you a steer on the one to say but the interesting question just finally i'll end with a problem even bigger one u.s. u.k. relations where do you think now that leaves the 2 countries especially with i suppose brags of britain looking for a trade deal with america. yeah there is no doubt that rex it britain is keen not

to piss on the united states that absolutely true and it is underlying a lot of stuff that's been happening in julian's quite sure i think we need to recognise that the judgment the writer has come to today is the way of telling this case in the u.k. which has the least impact on u.k. u.s. elections it is true we now have the 2nd courts in u.k. court in 3 years saying that u.s. prison conditions are so bad that they can't be trusted people alive i think that prison reform of the united states should have a look at this they missed larry's ruling a bit but this one is very high profile. but ultimately that's less impactful than saying that you know this was a political prosecution or the u.s. is violating the your family you can actually are violating the terms of the bilateral treaty which if you like is the least controversial way of putting a stop to this case and of course we're not out of the woods yet there will almost certainly be an appeal but the presumption has to be that union is in quite

a strong position going into that appeal now because of the way he's one of its kind of thank you so much for coming on the program and sharing your thoughts on what's son sure is an emotional day for you and and many people who've been close to julian assange the u.k. arlan program director the blueprint for free speech and you the only covering the only thought. when earlier we discuss the implications of the most with a number of us are just prominent supporters. i wasn't sure what to expect but i'm so happy that it's. been discharged for whatever reason it's fantastic i mean there's so many people who've been campaigning for a low for a long time against this injustice when he's gone through 1011 years of hell 1st on the house arrest and in belmarsh prison for the simple crime of journalism which isn't a crime he's standing up for freedom of speech he's done nothing but tell the truth he's been treated as a political prisoner object or that is mental health has suffered an unknown people

opposed to him has said that that is the case this this is not just about him personally it's about journalism it's about freedom it's about freedom of speech it's about freedom of the press and all those things are being undermined both in this country are by the actions of the people in the united states they're trying to get him to be extradited in the pushing this action here was a real absolutely remarkable decision 95 percent that you're just remarks were in favor for us i mean favor of expedition she threw my political the penalty threw out public interest depends only in the last moment from a decision that she cited the american prison system so brutal so pressing to you would be at risk of suicide if i sent him to be america or america saw and not going to know this is the end of the story will go to a higher court so this is just because it is a terrific day what she said about markets much more worrying because she said

there's no public interest there's no we there's no defense for journalists. like proper journalists or you to actually do what most journalists do because mr wilson there's no public interest but these are these were very very bad remarks by the way this is a victory and the chains you need to celebrate the fulton thing is if i never saw julian room be extradited according to the decision of the judge i don't know he's very who are saying that the only reason the on. reason why this tradition has been stopped is his fragile health condition and the high risk of suicidal journalists around the world should be very very worried about today's outcome is very very worrying dots jaja basically creamy now lies journalistic t.v. to these a political case. and. it's not over it's not

over yet ortiz eager to tell off has been looking at the events that led up to a songes long fight for freedom. julian assange has come a long way from an obscure activist to freedom fighter or traitor depending on who you are squarely one thing you can deny him though is that he led the charge that we kill leaks to dig up the secrets that america's intelligence colossus spent billions of dollars burying and he succeeded.

the. field reports from iraq military logs from afghanistan sensitive documents from guantanamo bay none of which made the u.s. look particularly good i would argue that it's closer to being the high tech terrorist it isn't it i mean international community i'm not for the death penalty so if i'm not for the death i don't want to do it illegally shoot the son of a. great discredit to this nation should be assassinated he should be treated as an enemy combatant it didn't take long for his sons to experience firsthand what it means to be uncle sam's public enemy the us went after the whistleblower launching

a probe into his actions at the same time a seemingly unrelated sexual assault investigation was opened. in sweden a son himself though claimed it was all part of americas to extradite him by all means possible the pressure mounted so when 2012 a son requested asylum from ecuador and holed up in the country's embassy in london this kicked off what would become a long 7 years of confinement with even the u.n. calling for an end to this suffering various forms of deprivation of liberty to which julian assange has been subjected constitute a form of arbitrary detention the working group maintains that the arbitrary detention of mr signage should be brought to an end instead the old things short from bad to even worse for a son ecuador's new president who was looking for warmer relations with the u.s.

seemed to take personal offense when we can leaks wrote about corruption allegations against him sanj was shown the door artie's video agency ruptly turned out to be the only outlet to catch the moment a son was literally carried out of the building some 7 years after he stepped in it . was. once u.k. law enforcement got their hands on a son they threw him in prison a proper one but the u.s. government is looking to try him under american law where the whistleblower faces more than a 100 years behind bars now every cording that emerged in line has sparked another wave of calls to pardon the whistleblower in the tape ironically julian a son she was trying to help u.s. authorities minimize the fallout of the 2011 leaks. which will have

an. hour here is it is more or. but we have been calling. me. every day trying to trying. to hold back on trump since you're given pardons to people please consider putting those who at great personal sacrifice expose the deception and criminality of those in the deep state mr president if you grant only one act of clemens the jury in your time in office please free julian a'sssos you alone can save his life on hoping that he will pardon julian assange it's the right thing to do so far trump has remained deaf to the pleas the julian assange just saga has been going for so long it feels like it could be over any minute but flashing back to how it's been going so far it seems like we've just turned the page on another chapter dude and i found it for

what i have known of him is a very resilient person but he has been brought to the breaking point to 10 years of persecution. joint persecution for political reasons by friedan by the united kingdom by the us by ecuador and none of this is being addressed she's not being compensated and not receiving justice for the ill treatment here suffered she should not have been brought to a point where you are suicidal you have been prosecuted to a point where you have been broken and now they basically the system is rooting them out and you know obviously that is a legal obligation but in the fence the system has succeeded in intimidating the world and passing the message that this is what's going to happen to you if ever you have the idea of publishing our dirty. secrets and making that known to the

world. ok more world news the us the corona virus vaccine rollout there isn't quite going to plan the country has missed its target of an ocular $20000000.00 people by the end of last year only managing to give the job to fewer than 3000000 saskia taylor picks up the story. it might be a new year but it's cool to buy the same old problems on the fast day of 2021 the us hit $20000000.00 kovac $9000.00 cases but just out was before as the clock struck midnight thousands flooded the streets hoping that the next $365.00 days would just be that little bit that. i've been scared i don't know what will happen 1st rule for 2021 don't talk about

2020 and i believe he's doing oh she started here we did. that everything is going to get better actually working at this c.v.s. and his own crazy with the coded vaccine and everything right now we really hope that everything goes back to normal this christmas i new year many wished for a return to our old normal lives something top medical advisors have been promising was just around the corner by the time we get into all of 2021 we could be approaching some level of normality tuns out though the very thing they said would quite literally set us free the fact scene is cool top in it's own trauma president health experts in operation warp speed hope to have 20000000 americans vaccinated by now but things are going slower than 1st thought there is now growing frustration building over the slow roll out of the corona virus vaccines across the u.s. there's only a small percentage of the vaccine that's been distributed by the federal government

that has actually been administered the massive vaccination campaign against the coronavirus in the u.s. has gotten off to a slower start. very slower start there's no way we can speed this up in the near term 14000000 doses of the fine and madonna fight scenes have been distributed across america but fewer than 3000000 have been administered it why well donald trump says he's done his job but states aren't doing that. the federal government has distributed the vaccines to the states now it is up to the states to administer get moving a blame game that didn't go down well with those who say it's a lack of direction from the top that's left people i worked in the cold. that comprehensive vaccination plans have not been developed at the federal level and sent to the states as models is as and comprehensible as it is inexcusable it was unrealistic to assume that the health care workers already overburdened with covert

care could take on a massive vaccination program many of those of the bugs and health care while because on now protesting they say they were promised a vaccine and instead face and miscues and crashing apps if lucky that's despite being in contact with infected people all hours of the day for 10 months straight the promise to vaccinate them as a priority fell apart as quickly as the promise to inoculate 20000000 by the end of 2020 so if they're not going to the risk groups where all they going while no one apparently there are delays at every corner of the number is lower than less we hope for we know that it should be better and we work hard to make the best tons out the holiday period and snow storms on what a smooth rollout means but even once the holidays end in the snow melts if nothing changes unless say it would take almost 10 years to vaccinate enough americans to

control the virus gives a whole new meaning to a peroration warp speed and the mess continues on a local level 2. is it just normal teasing problems of one of the most ambitious vaccination campaigns in u.s. history or is it just incompetence at every level either way it looks like to kill meant to bring or to is now only adding to the chaos let's take you to india where medical experts have raised concerns over what they say is the country's.