going in there. to the dismay of his supporters at julian a son charles being denied bail the wiki leaks co-founder will remain in custody pending washington's appeal on his extradition u.k. court turned on the american request on monday over concerns that whistleblower would commit suicide. just legal team person given all though they will appeal today's bail denial. this in iowa. most likely to feel the high court within hours or a few days. we. will expect this to be over to.

a 9 votes in the state of georgia the democrats seem poised to take control of the senate with congress itself. from supporters gather in washington to protest the 2020 election results. in germany extends its locked on until the end of the month with tougher anti pandemic rules done before we go through the restrictions. just after 8 in the evening here in moscow this wednesday january of this very welcome to the program lines of. wiki leaks co-founder julian assange has been denied bail by a london court it follows a decision to block his extradition to the united states over concerns that he posed a suicide risk. adverse dusty picks up the story. so the united kingdom

earlier today has been noise today in a. hail of course that comes just 2 days after they will not say actually that your innocence to the united states has been low long legal battle for june assault because the united states and want it in for his alleged role in what they call one of the largest compromises of classified information the history of the united states they wanted him to face trial for spying and publishing these classified documents relating to the war enough iraq and afghanistan and plus one of conspiracy to hack government computers to publish these files as well now if he was found guilty it could have led to a maximum sentence of a 175 years behind bars so judas onto the sense of being spared that fate for now at least but he is certainly not spared the fate of going back into the u.k.'s most notorious prison of belmarsh prison because he has not been granted bail in all of this now judas' on just the revenue did he said that they will be appealing

this latest decision they say it's a great disappointment not to release him on bail they say it's unjust and unfair also we've heard from craig murray one of his key supporters a former u.k. ambassador has called it incredibly vindictive i think this is indicative i mean the prosecution in. opposing. a great deal of play a fight with snowden and the fact that it's true to. justice. they've made it very you play for them the damage to american national security the drug industry and the educated gun. business is plainly the security state looking to show its profits approve the street this is this is indicative it's not based on anything that's bullshit is on his defense team found this a very bitter pill to swallow especially considering that monumental decision just 2 days ago not to actually bite you in

a song to the united states for them it really. was case closed in that sense because the put them particularly he now is already served his sentence was getting back in 2012 but he's still in belmarsh prison but what is his crime they argue in terms of being in the court itself they serve and they really try to justify doing this on just actions so that he would not be upstanding from any bell conditions however tight they could have been he would have abided by them purely for them on the basis of his new family ties right here in the united kingdom we know he has 2 very young children with his partner's son of morris she earlier before even the court proceedings 2 days ago she said that it was something to celebrate that money was a decision few days ago but she would only celebrate when you walk through the door back into that family hard so for them it's a really pretty disappointing blow today and rebecca vincent from reporters without borders says she too is very disappointed as many of the journalists are this very judge on monday outlined this response as serious health risks and mental health

stress these are issues that will be exacerbated by a period of prolonged detention so he sees are grounds but his actual dition which we agree that they are there also grounds for his immediate release from prison she stated that he had consented to have stunned and that is for the something else that he would be unlikely to present himself for justice she also stated that his mental health is being managed in the marsh and that the prison has to close in 1000 situation under control but that does not seem to be the case we've had alarming reports of the situation in the prison not have been nearly continuously in his cell for several weeks now. and the evidence we heard in september about his state of mental health issues are all issues that are made worse by detention so of course he should be released also the matter of principle is still here for us we called for some time for his unconditional release so not just because of these 2 monitoring concerns but as a matter of principle he has been to you only who are publishing information in the

public interest nobody should have to face what he has in the front. 5 years now and nothing. in this could have made this right going forward and they failed to do so today in terms of journalism worldwide and you have to remember that the church 2 days ago did not bear out the case based on journalistic grounds or political grounds but on his medical health and medical health alone in fact he accepted every single argument that the us throughout the course saying that judas on this case was not politically motivated that he would face a fair trial in the united states on the u.s. is constitutional law and she said that his actions were not in public interest so many people would argue that this confirms the narrative of criminalizing investigative journalism was the impact is huge. every journalism around the world . because now there's a precedent. in the british judicial system. a judge in daus has basically supported. their

political arguments for persecuting julian assange so is it is this is a very thorough political case if they're going to try to apply. this is a political case there 5 julian assange is in prison without serving a sentence shows that he is a political prisoner so we might save julian then he might not spend the rest of his life in prison but the risk. for journalists around the world is they're still there because. if somebody else in the future dares to do what julian did what wiki leaks did to publish the same feelings or similar things they will be persecuted and they can be criminalized for life so today has been a very dramatic day indeed and for the last 2 days have been very dramatic for us

the on mondays decision without that it not. given the sun and then today not to grant him bail it is incredibly best to st and we see activists and supporters not just hits a day or 2 days ago but long throughout due to the scientists or they have been here day in day out but has but then you know so it is a valiant campaigner for truth and justice he has not committed a crime but all he has done is population and showing the world the truth in their opinion of the united states and their criminal activities in iraq and afghanistan in fact today they were so determined and eager and enthusiastic to be here for this court case that so many people have even been arrested by police for being outside the westminster magistrate's court i myself witnessed around 5 people being arrested including a 92 year old man and it really just goes to show the levels of determination because they feel it's not just here in the service in the go. through the criminal justice system and trying to avoid the criminal justice system in the united states

but also sits in the box is the fundamental principles of freedoms of press the right for expressing yourself the right to report but also go right for the public's access to information and journalism of course this is a 10 year battle and is having a chilling effect on journalism not just here in the u.k. nor the united states but worldwide. interest in london while the us has been unrelenting in its attempts to get julian assange into an american courtroom and so on surprisingly washington was less than pleased with monday's this is not to extradite him while we are extremely disappointed in the court's ultimate decision we are gratified that the united states prevailed on every points of law raised in particular the culture jets and all of mr saunders arguments regarding political motivation political offense fair trial and freedom of speech we will continue to seek mr sanders extradition to the united states. you're saying quick look back at

some of wiki leaks key revelations that have landed us in the us authorities want to do this. i want. to. get a. little does he say any millions of those who are led. to live with the leaks walks like

a hostile intelligence sort of talks like a hostile takeover. welcome live on to the program naomi colvin the only whistleblower advocate on long term supporter of julian assange good to see you again were you surprised by today's decision to deny him bail. frankly know why he did go into this court hearing with the best case the better you could possibly have like you think the only possible chance he had that it was is if you've won any points in this case ultimately though and i didn't want you to think that also mean i wasn't that surprised i think is such a strong system and it's different because of the time he sent me a story number i think. the british legal system it's a real slap in the fight and they feel that they cannot allow him bail because it

would give it would encourage others to. as they see it reach better conditions in the future unfortunately on the warm home the judge denied his extradition based on mental health grounds on monday but then kept him in custody today in prison. you know i mean there was a clue about that in what she said on monday during the persian she did mention that she felt that julian's mental health equal being dealt with adequately within belmarsh without the clue about how she might have felt about bias and obviously isn't going to with don't out and there are clearly there are back to back would lead you to believe that having being granted bail being outside so much with the attitude and mental health he sent me the effort to look for more people and tablets no more normal kind of life. i think what's key here because obviously he's

not had a very good time in belmarsh conditions have been horrible we know from the evidence presented to him he's actually titian hearing that he does hear it significantly. mentally emotionally and cope materially during his time in the almost to the last year when the situation was extremely different. than that 7. yet justice would clearly be served by him not being at the key thing i think is given that there is going to be a cost to him from being there often as an elf anywhere else and that the people she needs to be heard relatively quickly i think maybe it is going to be for him and. not appeal it's going to happen i assume quickly from what the lawyers are saying are they want to do you think it will succeed. i think you have to assume that yes well i think you have to assume that he is going in and not assume he is going into this appeal in a pretty strong position in my opinion the u.s.

all of the burden of argument is going to be on the u.s. signed the way that the judge. framed her ruling on monday makes it quite difficult for the u.s. to appeal it and i think actually those who and i know that many people have now analyzed the ruling in a pointed out quite correctly that there are lots of statements in there that seem pretty troubling from a press freedom point of view and i sin and certainly true that the judge ruled on the in us with that on the u.s. i mean absolutely everything and actually everything apart from the health considerations i think we also need to recognize that the ruling is a purposeful document and i think it may be the case that the judge ruled in that way in order to produce a result which gives the best chance of julian not being extracted united states rather than giving us everything that we might want so i think people should maybe be a bit careful with how they read that ruling in the case the decision this story in fact it's been seen largely through the prism cross atlantic from from britain and

america and they only what do you think about the other international reaction the community has there been enough. even talk help we know that mexico has offered asylum but but do you think more could be dawn should be done. i'm not i've been quite impressed with the international reaction as opposed to the british reaction which has been a bit iffy i mean it's only been in recent days that major crises have come forward and said what we don't want to be extracted in the judge reached rightly so i felt you know if what actually just in case for what are not that tradition taken we certainly managed to put together a much back to u.k. coalition much stronger u.k. coalition on back a. look at the international support mexico piece as you mentioned as being good as their statements from i think 16 former presidents in the last week from latin america that was pretty good while your men home country has been really really a. and yet not strongly enough surely is interesting enough what happened in

australia is pretty critical i think when you're looking at what is likely to happen julian after the appeal process in the u.k. is either and i think let's assume for the sake of argument he's going to prevail eventually a new paradigm shift. the attention then really turns to what happens in australia after his home countries and i thought this place and if you go it's probably the place the british government wants him to go if he's not allowed to have a choice in it. and so i from my point to do something tonight look at campaigns interested and i think actually australia are shaping up quite nicely i think this week for the 1st time we had the leader of the labor party from the main opposition party in australia. making some noises on the songes behalf and there are some importance of form a 4th front form of foreign ministers like what harm people like that having not necessarily meant to be helpful citizens when he's in office have now come around and i think the public supported that and certainly based on cases from page me in

a year which was not what he was arrested so i actually think i think things are shaping up quite nicely we touchin this say on monday normally when we spoke but i think it's worth briefly getting into again the concerns for journalism in light of the casing of the judge just to remind our viewers throughout the argument that what he did was in the public interest. so as i say i think we need to read that ruling carefully and think about what the judge was actually trying to i have a feeling she was trying to get a result which made it as difficult as possible since the action like you don't listen to the appeal process having said that of course there are things in the judgment which are quite troubling there are few points i want to make it the 1st is that it doesn't this doesn't really have any presidential value there's nothing in here that makes the position of journalists in the u.k. or elsewhere worse really no court is going to feel obliged to follow what this judge has said here it's probably true that on issues where a u.k.

court has not said anything at all before people who are writing about what the legal position is in the u.k. may refer to this judgment as an example of what the court in the u.k. has said about something but no judge as i say is going to feel obliged to them what this president no no no offense to her she's just a junior judge in an extradition case is not particularly relevant. it is true does some of the opinion she says here i think are a bit. iffy. a lot of people have now written about where they need to go into that net and he said i think and it's also quite illustrated of the terrible situation we happen to u.k. as regards the applicability of the official secrets act which is the equivalent piece of legislation to the one that has been charged in the us and they're reminded that. this judge felt starts shooting could have been charged in the you know in a an equivalence event children could have been charged in the u.k. and efficiency could such should give us pause about the appropriateness of that

legislation and certainly the leading opinion not just but from progressive law is that some sort of technical law is and you understand the case law that comes out of stroudsburg on the european convention of human rights which human rights are now embedded in the human rights act in the u.k. . the official secrets act is out of date and it needs reform and people who are charged on the official secrets act need to be able to make a public interest the plan now there's a real agenda for change that that won't happen it's unless people pressure because i don't think this government's going to do it on it's just a rough ball thrown away how do you think then the us appeal against the court's extradition decision is going to go another couple of days of digesting the verdict . and how do i think it's going to go i think there are we actually learnt a little bit about this in court there but what the u.s. is going to say are going to take issue not with the judge's opinion about the medical evidence but whether it meets the threshold of seriousness and whether she

has weighed up. the fact is probably we get into really abstruse territory here about how the court system might deal with issues like suicide rates and it's a really really artificial argument has no relation really to the way their doctors are thinking about suicide but we're going to end up talking about all of this quiet street stuff i think it's a feel you have been us could do is to try and give assurances to the british court that for instance julian wouldn't be put on special administrative measures or wouldn't be sent yet florence. historically when america makes those kind of assurances in the u.k. court they don't necessary people obliged to. follow through with what they're doing is no mechanism for making sure they get it and this is all quite controversial in itself and the parliamentary reviews many parliamentary of these this point who look to actually just in system and to keep us you can't tradition treaty this year infusion of very much on the map there so yes another life extradition issue that may well come up with appeal in the only thank you very much

for coming in from ensuring you refuse especially the last number of days whistleblower advocates a long term supporter of julian and we call them thank you. 21 minutes into the program let's move on to more world news germany has toughened its . extended its lockdown as the country surpassed $35000.00 covered related debts our europe correspondent peter oliver looks at how berlin is trying to slow the pace of the disease. following a meeting between uncle merkel the german chancellor and the leaders of germany's 16 states locked down in the country will be extended until the 31st of january what that means is that all bars and restaurants ghouls gyms mound non-essential retail will be closed there are some new measures being put in place as well you'll

now only be able to meet with one or the person from outside of a household other than your own aand in areas where infections are above $200.00 per 100000 of the population there will be a limit on where you can travel it has to be within a 15 kilometer radius of your home in announcing these measures angular merkel said that they would necessary. we are now very close to full capacity in some hospitals which is also one of the reasons for us to introduce these far reaching madness today epidemiologists had hoped that you would go further and extend this lockdown beyond the end of january no such look there for them there is also well some pushback already from some of those who agreed to this deal on tuesday we've heard from leaders in the state of lower saxony saying they've got no intention of

limiting the movement of citizens in their state but vote in both of said that they're reviewing the situation and whether they would be keen to do the same in their state and also we've heard from the state of mecklenburg western pomerania he said they want to get this schools open now it's not just the state leaders that have been unhappy with lockdowns we have seen demonstrations here in germany against the measures that have been put in place just last weekend in nuremberg the riot police have to be called. well german chancellor angela merkel also defended the vaccination program in germany which had come in for criticism for moving at

a pretty much delayed cele pace she said that the right things were being done to ensure that germans got the vaccinations that they needed earlier we heard from yen spahn the german health minister said. all people in germany who wanted a vaccination should be able to receive one by the summer of this year well the new measures that were brought in on tuesday they're going to be reviewed again on the 25th of january well be decided if they need to be extended through into february. in neighboring fronts a court has ruled that the police can record detailed personal information relating to activists and protesters in the name of state security trade unions though say that noting down political and religious beliefs and social media activity erodes basic freedoms with more here charlotte dubin ski in paris. france's highest

administrative court has found itself in the midst of a toxic debate the council of state has approved plans by the government to broaden the information that can be collected about individuals for intelligence files this includes political or religious convictions and if someone is a member of a union these decrees also authorize the recording of a person's social networks or even health data revealing a particular danger leading to an infringement of the right to demonstrate to a stigmatization the freedom of opinion union action the fact of being a member of the union which suggests that being a member of a trade union could be associated in one way or another with the imperatives of internal security state security the fight against terrorism so what are these intelligence files and what exactly are they used for the decrees relate to 3 files these used to be limited to being about hooligans or violent demonstrators now they

are being expanded to the list of data of people suspected of terrorist activities all those likely to undermine the integrity of france and its institutions files like this can help security services to keep an eye on individuals who are seen to pose a threat to sunny's lomis terrorist attacks were formed in 202033 since 2017 but some argue that concept behind these decrees is very at best. in fact the authorities can collect data on a lifestyle a vague definition from the outset creates the threat of arbitrary nish each of us can become a subject of data collection if our behavior is considered a likely threat to public safety. the green light for these decrees also comes at

a particularly sensitive time here in france at the end of 2020 there were mass demonstrations against 2 controversial draft laws nor by the government. i. mean while some police unions have denounced the global security as not going far enough they say officers faced a threat just for doing their jobs and being targeted just this week a jew officers were beaten up in the paris suburbs attacked by a gang during a routine traffic stop but critics say these new these decrees show an all thora

tarion drift in france this argument is waved like a red rag but it is not the subject terrorism is one of the goals but the main thing is the fight against hooligans sects the underground economy and protests deed violent terrorism is used to carry out political surveillance it is our trade union activity our reason for being which is targeted these decrees maintain the confusion between an activist a member even an employee who signs a petition and as a legal person the c g t can be called into question it is a risk for social democracy it's not the 1st time france has tried this in 2008 it launched the ed finch database which provoked outrage as it aimed to collect data around similar themes political and religious affiliation it was eventually dropped but given this recent push by the french government to move towards tighter security may. this despite the mass demonstrations and the approval that's come

from the council of state made me all concerned that france is crossed a red line and they may not retreat cholent even ski off paris. it looks to be a massive 24 hours for the democrat party in the us with congress poised to be under their control for the next 2 years that's after their 2 candidates appear in the furch of winning crucial senate runoff elections in the state of georgia very big elections there the democrats already control remember the hosts of representatives and rally earlier being held in the capital donald trump had this to say he's not admitting defeat in essence we beat him 4 years ago we surprised them we took them by surprise this year they rigged election they rigged it like they've never rigged election before we will never give up we will never concede it doesn't happen. i. never the less congress is

expected to officially confirmed joe biden as president later today meanwhile donald trump supporters from across the country helping descending as we say on the capital for that so-called stop this rally at present trump is speaking right bracing for possible clashes between the pro trump crowd on their opponents the city's mayor has called in the national guard and trump himself warned to stay away from being a left wing movement terrorist. right to a christmas morning bombing mystery on the rich skipping to the top of the queue for cobra jobs it is a packed to the rafters watching the hawks ahead on r t it starts in moments. thank. her. greetings and sal you take. welcome back my friends from and.