staunch will be able to get any sort of leeway when he tried suing the united kingdom, where the united states for failing to enforce the conditions of his tradition yet tomorrow morning. they can take us on throw him into a dx, florence, or refuse to let him go to australia and then he can't contest anything because there is no piece of paper with a song, just signature on it, like there was with mendoza the you want the united states will tell him the same thing. they said to mendoza, they will say you are not a signatory of the extradition treaty between the us and u. k. you have no claim goodbye. and then his only pap saunders only path will be to go to the united kingdom to get the u. k. to pressure the us to follow the assurances to abide by the assurances. do you really think the country that is kept truly massage? jail for effect will be 10 years arbitrary detention is going to fight for him is going to pressure the us. i mean, you know, not in your wildest stream. so as long as it has no transport. mendoza got lucky. you got very lucky, but assange, i highly doubt you will have any sort of luck putting your expectations on how this case is going to go next. because you've made

a very compelling case here. are naughty and showing examples of what can happen. do you think that would carry much white, that argument when this case comes up again in court? well met mendoza's case was used to block an extradition from france to the u. k. so this was linda and myco, maestro. this is back in 2013, i believe mendoza's case was cited as proof that us assurance cannot be trusted and that extradition was blocked. and mendoza helped many other people who faced extradition or have been extradited like the, you know, the lay drawn, mcafee, for example. he was also threatened with extradition. victor boots the famous arms dealer. so there are many cases like this. and in some, in some cases, you know, i think the french course, for example, they would be more willing to, you know, block an extradition to, to go against the u. s. will the united kingdom do that? being a 5 white country be the fact that there's a special relationship between the u. k. in the us. i really doubt that,

and that's the problem here. because even when you have really compelling evidence that assurances cannot be trusted, that the u. s. is not abiding by the rules. you know, they want a song to abide by the law. they want mendoza to abide by the law, but they are not abiding by the law themselves. but even when you have very iron clad evidence, your very compelling evidence. can you trust that the course will do the right thing? i hope so. i really hope so. but, you know, there is precedent that this case has been cited to block and extradition. and i very much hope that the u. k. course would also see this evidence and be convinced that you cannot trust these assurances. and therefore, block saunders extradition because eventually it will be in the hands of the secretary of state. so meaning protect patel. teresa may block the gallery, mckennan extradition. you got very lucky but will pretty patel do that for julian, it's orange. if there's no more, you know, there's no alternative avenues and it's ultimately in her hand. i really doubt that . so the courts really have a responsibility to look at mendoza's case to look at other cases and see these assurances for what they are. they're not trustworthy. i know in each case, it's always been stated by the prosecution, that this isn't a politicized case,

but from your perspective, i know you've been following the case closely. you feel there's been a lot of political pressure from the u. s. on the u. k. over this or do you feel it is being held on heard sort of on an independent basis in certainly a political case, but the entire indictment is political songs never worked in the united states. he never lived in the united states. he doesn't, over the united states, and thing is not a us citizen. so he's an australian citizen in the u. k. just publishing classified documents that show gross government misconduct, suppose crimes against humanity and the going after him because it's political because he embarrassed them. he embarrassed the c, i a the state department and so on. so the entire indictment is certainly political . now, on the other hand, even though it's on just case is, is very unique. i would argue that at the same time, this treatment that he's being given by the department of justice needs assurances . this is actually standard thing. they regularly trick other jurisdictions, other countries into sending people to the u. s. into extra dining them. and once

they're in us or fiction game over who's going to force us to comply with an agreement that it may, no one can really do that, not even the u. k. so in a sense, it is absolutely political, being government, political the, which one to is. but in terms of assurance and this is really standard practice. this is exposes rotten corrupt system that regularly does this, that abuses other jurisdictions and legal systems. that gaines, other legal systems, inter extra dieting citizens to the u. s. and once they're in us section, you can't do anything. okay, richard, we're going to leave it there, but really good to get your opinion on this. that was independent journalist that richard met hurst. thank you. okay, well let's bring you up to date them without breaking news this afternoon because the london court has rule that wikileaks founded you'd in the sand can be expedited to the united states, a washington one. it's a pale against a previous ruling that blocked to sound from being sent to the us to face trial on espionage charges. his fiance describe the decision as

a grave miscarriage of justice, and the whole case is likely not to go back to the lower court. so let's get that. i tish with that shot. it was stashed to. he's been outside the cold 1st to softening sherry. just run through then if you will. what's been said over the last couple of hours and what could be the ramifications so ultimately, to nissan just now is step closer to being expedited to the united states as the u . k. hi, court judges have no rule that it will be overturning in earlier decision in a lower court back in january, not to extra diets. him of course, that was on the faces just some nearly 12 months ago that it would be oppressive when june assaulted at a high risk of suicide in u. s. custody. now the today hearing back in october on the 26th, 27th of october, the u. s is appeal on the numerous grounds, including the fact that the us had altered an unprecedented package of a reassurance that he would not be held in effect as high as maximum security

prison conditions in the united states. and that ultimately is mental and physical health isn't as bad as being laid out. once there is an assurance of appropriate medical care, once it is clear, you will be repatriated, jaw straight to serve any sent us. then we can safely say the district judge would not have decided the relevant question in the way that she did. ah, well, you decide to st. louis have contested almost every angle of the united states and say that he is indeed at a high risk of suicide. if he sent to the united states, if not, right, they also say the assurances of the united states provided were meaningless and vague. plus the u. s can reverse and at any point in time, they also have and still have concerns over the trustworthiness of the american o. 4. it is pointing to the report that the cia had to kidnapped eunice on it to

kill him and poisoned him while he was in london tech victorian embassy proposed. they say he was being spied in the under secretary embassy. was he read bugs at the time? i know his lawyers also say that this is ample enough evidence to suggest that the whole court case should be thrown out and proved, but it's a 100 percent politically motivated. which is perfectly reasonable to find that oppressive to extradite immensely disordered person because he's extradition is likely to result in his death. a court must be able to use its power to protect people from extradition, to a foreign state, but they have no control over what will be done to them. and now the united states won't june the sand for what they deem is one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the united states. and if due to the assault just extradited and found guilty and convicted, he could face a prison sentence of up to a 175 years behind bars. because the u as have indicted him on 18 counts under the

espionage plus one of conspiracies. a had a government computer to publish secret documents all related to the war in iraq and afghanistan, one of which of course, revealed the military killing thousands of innocent civilians. now the united states, they argue that it's hard to put an exact date or an exact amount of years at this stage and any sentence could be significantly shorter. but of course, many people outside the high court here today they've been protesting for nearly a decade now. to see the release of june saw him so that he wouldn't face such a face as that today is a devastating blow for the entire campaign. but it's a campaign that will not end and they will not give up who is a glimmer of hope that you know, the british justice system might actually prevail for once. the british judiciary, as assistive on every level the u. s. campaign to get

a 10 years 10 years in the streets of london, public opinion in the sound. but obviously the judge's decision is not on the side of public opinion. it's absolutely devastating. so she, this time of year, another christmas without doing that is children without their data stay on the fight to free during the trial. so we will prevail eventually the. so i just wanted to run through the options moving forward. now it is possible, this case is sent cracked to a lower court. here in the united came to the magistrate court, where this legal lab rental began back in january. that is, whereas the united states will maybe put the presentation for the again, thought of close the appeals process, could even reach the pre quote. and even later down the lines could even end up

with the european court of human rights. just to mentioned that keyword, the human rights today is the international day of human rights. many people say we're, is that today hasn't really been up held in the u. k. justice system right here. that's something that's done. morris actually put forward earlier this afternoon. of course, protest is out here. they've been campaigning relentlessly to see just this finally being stuff. just a quiet iconic image that i saw, the protest throwing eggs towards the building here because they argue, this isn't the record of justice. this is the royal cause of injustice. okay, thank you for that shot that was shot for that side. the london court made that ruling earlier today while we can just give you some background too, because the u. s. has been pursuing assange after he revealed classified information on american military activities during was in afghanistan and iraq.

ah ah huh. mm. i think you're good with okay, well let's bring in nat geo political on this patrick heading, son who's been following this case for years. i know patrick, good afternoon to you. i'm what,

what do you make of the court ruling this afternoon? i suppose in summary, they are saying look, he can be expedited if that's what happens to the yet us, we shouldn't be concerned about his health because the us says it will look after him. yes, yes. and i think the important part part of all of this is there is there, there has to be a level of coordination at a deeper level, a state level between the u. s. and the u. k. government, both members of the 5 eyes intelligence alliance and clearly wiki leaks, join us on poses a grave threat to this, to complete dominance of the information space, a digitally and globally. so that's one of the main things i think that they're concerned about having him. basically free is something they want to avoid doing. and so this ruling today is, is basically gonna bring it if it goes to appeal to a low court where we're looking at or maybe another year. so the whole timeline of

this, just this saga of the, of the case 3 years. and so this is really a game of attrition that's being played. i think by the british authorities and coordination with the u. s. of, there's definitely political overtones to this that, beyond a doubt now there's involvement of the intelligence agencies from the u. s. and may be more than that. that's also beyond debate now. so you have a completely political situation. so you have a political prisoner, effective in terms of the prosecution, pat frank. i mean, we do have to say that they say that he's being held in bellmarks prison because they believe he's a flight risk and all say that they've said before that his journalism bank protects him from, you know, the espionage act. he released loads of documents that were classified information and action has to be taken. i mean, i know ye for a disguise for a long time that people cheney move. we'll hear that and say, well, you know what, what essentially is wrong with that same mobile? what's your response?

well, it's easy for his detractors in the u. s. to make that argument, that he's in violation of the espionage act, but that's never gone. the distance in a u. s. court, which it might very well do if he is extradited. so it's, you know, they can make all the noises they want and say that he did this, he did that the case is totally spurious. on his face. the charges are completely unrelated to reality. that was proven by a san just defense team many, many times. but this is really all about attrition and timing. so the idea is if they can keep him on ice as it were, it held is a category a prisoner. when he is on convicted and for years now, then that's going to may be not away. at his personal health, you might have a situation where a lot of people have speculate, he might die in prison. that's not a hyperbolic a thing to say. this is a very serious concern, or that he might suffer some severe, a mental condition as well in the process. so the idea is it not to even though

they want to extradite him by delaying it, is going to delay is extradition deteriorate, his health and his mental condition. and then if he does eventually go to the u. s . at another year or 2 to that initial legal process. and by the time this case really comes to may be a higher court or a supreme court ruling in the united states with regards the espionage act. who knows, 5 years, 4 years at that, at that point he's been incarcerated for 15 plus years in total under some level of an arbitrary, an actual detention. so that, that's the game that's being played here. i k, patrick. good to get your thoughts were going to at leave it. that was ga pisca understand patrick henderson. okay, well let's look at some other news are today now because the ukrainian naval vessel that approached russian waters in crimea has been described as a continuation of nato's provocations in the black sea by

a russian regional official ukrainian shit named don bass sailed dangerously close to russian waters on thursday evening reporting from crimea, his arte sheila shop of oliver, russia's f as v has cold. i pro occasion this read for marie craig and made a ship heading towards the coach trade in crimea. as the collision between the russian and ukranian fleet reclined me and coach trade, have me avoided. it happens when the ukrainian ship co stone had been moving tools russian territorial horses to kilometers from the border and then turned fine according to the f as v. the incident started on december the 9th at 12 minutes past 9 in the morning when the ukrainian ship called don't boss left the port of north pole and began to move towards the coast trade. according to the russians side, it hadn't received any requests for passage as required by russian legislation. let's take listen to what the f as we have to say. the command ship don't bus has

reverse course away from the coach straight. it is not responding to enquiries. the actions of the cren and sheep's crew are regarded as provocative and endangering navigational safety. while the ukranian side reported that the ship did no harm to pass for this trade, and it was on, on saving in the sea of us all towards the coast trade. and later throughout the day started to return. the 2 continued not to respond to requests from the russian, oregon. according to the speed, the russian special service regarded the actions of the crew as provided and threatening the safety of navigation in turn, the ukrainian side said it did no end to the sensitive says it was before and tossed in its territorial horses and after that began returning to the bay also according to the ukrainian fence minutes that they don't bought ship was in the sea over legally since it was a shed area. and he expressed his surprise rather than most so a threat from an unarmed search and rescue vessel. apart from that, on december,

the 9th, which is yesterday, russian flight is, is quoted, a flying u. s. and french miniature aircraft over the black sea, according to the russian national defense can center earlier this year. and they bought incident in the black sea of the crime in peninsula on edge in the 20 said. so russia went imitated keesing, the u. k. and u. s. military of staging, a complex publication. after british a warship, h, a mass defend that sailed near the coast of crimea, as well as ukrainian ships previously violated russia. buddhist crimean officials expressed consent and at the un security council to discuss the problem that can lead to widespread confrontation. so we are here for like all the development in a coach right now, and we'll bring you more information as we get 40 healey shepherd oliver. okay, let's talk muted cast. yep. now join me again in the studio, m. morales a, some background. all of this, i mean,

is slight as incident does come against the backdrop of a rapid escalation has no intentions. enriques wait between ukraine, i'm russia. well, an escalation both rhetorically. we would, we have seen this hysteria reach fever pitch about the situation over ukraine, about potential plans to invaders, some countries say, but the, the situation on the ground in ukraine is perhaps worse to war because that is where people are dying. people are dying. people are suffering. people are going through through al and have been going through hell for many years now we have, we have seen of the united states pacifically, pumping weapons into you credit for the ukranian military. and these are weapons b, b, b, they a javelin miss are supplied by the united states or by dr. drones supplied by turkey. these are, these are weapons that are flowing into you credit and immediately going to the conflicts of where the civil war is being fought in the east of ukraine. and they

are making life horrific for the people that ukraine has boosted about how it is used all it's, it's shiny new toys. i fortunately, the people on the receiving end very often are civilians. there are more than 2000000 civilians are trapped in the conflict soon. in east the new crate, and they're just having to break it out because there's been no lasting seas for that. there's been on and off wafaa wafaa for full, the better half of the better part of half a decade. now, people going to sending their kids to school, they will have to worry about a tang cello, a mortar, round landing. they're on the grounds of the school bats in the classroom where the kids are. people going to work must always worry about tang grounds flying into the bus there in the public transport, deliver the kind to the house i, we've, we've been there. we've reported a lot for me, sen, ukraine. i and my colleagues. most recently we've,

we've seen the reality of life there are under to grew ukrainian blockade economic financial social blockade at the, it isn't so much life as is in existence, a struggle to make it to the next day. and vladimir putin as like and what is happening in east and ukraine on the ground. something you don't often hear about in the media. they prefer to, to, to focus on the brand invasions that haven't materialize rather than the suffering that people are undergoing every day that vladimir putin is like and what is happening to a walker or so she is, i should say, that lucifer we as the 1st step towards genocide, what's going on and on bass now very much resembles genocide. we see it and we know about it. there's just, as we said earlier that the western narrative on this is potential rush and aggression, amassing its troops within its own borders on the edge we with ukraine, but very little said about ukraine's actions in recent weeks. never martin the

latter, like what's happened and i guess last night, well this is, this is the thing we all we hear about is these potential plans emanating from the she, i have the white house, the british government. these plans that no one previously knew about that russia was planning to invade. a huge area of ukraine was unclear how they would be able to achieve this with, with, even if we believe the see i and others with, with such a small force, a $100000.00 troops as a very unlikely scenario. nevertheless, that's speculation. at this point, they have themselves have said that russia hasn't made the decision to invade or you crate. but let's look at what is happening again on the graph. do you have the os c that reporting on c's for violation? so their work is constant and round the clock. they've been accused repeatedly over the years of being biased or refusing to talk knowledge that ukraine is violating

was he's far, much more than a the, the breakaway republics. for example. it was a report issued by the os he recently at russian insistence. they, they weren't all that enthusiastic about it, but they had the numbers and they shoot that a ukrainian artillery enforcers destroyed or damaged 5 times more civilian infrastructure at schools at workplace as that is people's homes. 5 times more infrastructure was destroyed and damaged by ukrainian forces than vice versa than you her, than by the break. we republics on territory controlled, but ukraine. so these are, these are hard numbers and yet this isn't something that the average viewer has heard about or has, has read about in the press, especially in the western press. you also have the situation in which you, ukraine, still still 6 years on, refuses to negotiate with the breakaway republic saying that this isn't something

we're going to do because if we talk to them face to face, that would be tantamount to acknowledge in them. i you may question the logic many, many people do, but that is what ukraine insists on. there has been no progress on the minsk agreements. ukraine shipley refuses to make any concessions, which, as part of the minsk agreements that had signed it has to me. yet there is a total reluctance to do so. germany and france, guarantors of ukraine's commitment have been unable or unwilling to press the bird to push or to motivate ukraine into making those concessions that has been absolutely new progress towards a peaceful resolution. over the past 6 years. absolutely no concrete, a tangible progress towards a peaceful revolution resolution. and then you have the united states just just to give you an idea, we will know how much attention the united states pays to you credit or it's

everywhere. and the headlights, the president speaks about you create every month you can hear biden and trump for him to talking about you crave. but what is happening there about the poor ukrainians and the suffering that they're enduring because of the russians. and yet, and yet the united states gives more financially to ethiopia than it does to, to ukraine. what it makes up for is by providing it with weapons all manner of equipment, weapons from javelin, missiles, very expensive technology to night vision goggles radios are artillery systems, all sorts of equipment that it provides for ukraine, which helps the ukrainian military keep up the conflict in east and ukraine, aside from that there also all manner of promises and assurances that ukraine keeps on hearing from, from britain, from the united states that they've got their back, that thou help them, that they'll keep the russians away. and what i, what that does is it emboldened you credit. it says why,

why make concessions difficult concessions to, to, to achieve a peaceful resolution when we have all the support and all these shiny weapons pouring in. obviously, you know, the, the, the, our friends, the west want us to continue what we're doing. and unfortunately the situation is such that aside from very one sided coverage, you have a situation in which piece simply isn't desirable. i'm so really situation continue for potentially months and years to come at more at gets 30 thanks. that was her art is more aghast. yet we can bring an active journalist and author thomas fast bender. he joins us this afternoon under good afternoon t thomas. her thanks, waiting on the line there. let's just talk about this latest incident. we need, we have seen, have way, great tensions between russia, ukraine leading up to this and then we have dispos that stays itself towards crimea, and it's called dumbass him. why do it? why add more fuel to the fire?

well there is, there is a development that has been going on for. busy a several months now and there are various factors at work. one is the biden presidency. this or the present development would have been unthinkable under president donald trump biden has already in august last year in is can one of his campaign speeches announced that he will deliver or leave lethal weapons to you? grain. that is one, then there is they are the war in them in barabbas and got gotten the kara buffer in on a z e, a territory which sure in last order was won by the azeri forces herb strongly supported by turkey by turkish. her. busy weapons in particular as the colleague reminded. busy already by rock t r t b to her miss a drones m. this adds this was the 1st incident of a military resolve, or at least

a partial military resolve of one of the frozen conflicts on post soviet territory . so the 2 developments, the deliveries of weapons from the u. s. the readiness of for joe biden to support the ukranian side are much stronger than his predecessor plus the experience of her as there by john in her now. gotten the car above last year has emboldened or at least the falcons, sir, in, in key f. m. and has kind of the hope that a, yes, there is a possibility to militarily, reclaim the successfully reclaim, are the territory of the break away republics. and maybe even are the crimea, because ah, key a fears is that they feel themselves very much supported by the west. and then there is that there is an, an additional factor that with the demise of angela america as a german church. is there

a strong coming media to immediate if authority has gone and the new foreign minister on an in a better book is clearly citing as does a party, the greens, the german greens, clearly citing with ukraine and with the u. s. interest in in europe. geostrategic interests. so there's little, there's a lot that makes the falcons in a key of believe that they have a real chance. is this saber rattling, resisted perhaps increase their only reach? i'm only speculating and perhaps getting more favorable terms if a peaceful solution is found or do you think that this is the worst you crying saying, you know what? we've had it, we're trying to find pace. this is the way forward we're going, i'm afraid, is more than save rattling. there is something that has not been here for decades. that is the perspective, the re perspective of a major european war. we must not forget that with the latest statements by job,

by and also by the german foreign ministers. foreign minister, 2 years, 2 days ago. that any any what? what did she say? she says to fight and says invasion? yeah. any say, threat to do ukraine any trans trans trespassing. the ukrainian borders by russian military will lead to sanctions of a size that have not been seen before. it reminded me of saddam hussein in 2003 who threatened to us with the mother of old battles if you remember. and you could say this, this amounts to the mother of old sanctions. which of course key of makes key of believes that they have the sort of blush a cut, a check, a blank check even think think back to 1904.