[000:00:00;00] a watching ticking winds its appeal against a ruling block in julia sanchez expedition to the u. s. his case may now return to a lower court to be re heard. we speak with ricky leeks, editor in chief. this is not a case that is being pulled on the bass salted more. this is an absolute travis to you, any legal process, as on his case, sparks anger around the world with rights groups noting it comes as britain takes part in a democracy summit that hales the west, supposedly freedom of the press and a provocative and threatening action. russia slams ukraine over an attempt to dangerously approach its maritime borders near crimea,

taking tension between the 2 states to level. we got a reaction from residence on the peninsula there, but got a blatant provocation. they wanted to pay the is guilty where they always blame russia for everything. those don't you do? who has done this program? they're likely doing it in person to inc. russia, on the sheets of jazz is just unpleasant wiper vocal. see, ah, broadcasting live direct from studios in moscow. this is our to international. i'm john thomas. certainly glad to have you with us. are now a london court has ruled that ricky leeks founder julian assange, can be extradited to the u. s. washington. one, it's appeal against a previous ruling that block to sons' from being sent to america to face trial on espionage charges. his fiance described to friday's decision as

a grave. at miscarriage of justice julian exposed the crimes of ca, tortures of ca, killers. and now we know that those ca killers were planning to kill him to how can this court? how can these courts approve an extradition request under these conditions? well, june the, so i'm just now a step closer to being expedited to the united states as the u. k high court has decided that it will be overturning a decision not to expedite to him to the united states. that decision was based back in january on medical grounds at the time the judge said it would be a press if a student is sanchez at a high risk of suicide. of course, back in october, those a to day harry, i was the united states trying to appeal over numerous grounds, including the fact that it offered an unprecedented package of assurances, as i saw,

would not be held under the maximum security the strictest maxim security conditions . in prison and that he isn't unwell is being, he's made out of continue to say that he is indeed a suicide risk. and that all of these assurances are meaningless and vague as they put it. they said that the united states can reverse any decision at any point. cost is also concerned about the trustworthiness of america's guarantees to pointing to $1.00 of those reports in the year that the cia had prompted to kidnap during the saw and put it to kill them. and even was spying and bugging him during his time at london's ecuadorian embassy. now june assigned as noise. what they say is, this is i'm pulling up evidence to not only throw out the court case entirely, but they say it's a 100 percent politically motivated. plus they of course argue that you're in a san should be walking free. when did you go back in you to fight for

a sanchez freedom? it is unfair to keep him in custody when there is no crime or punishment for him. we continued to fight and this latest decision is not final, it's will take time. i remind you that makes tradition hearings have been going on for almost a year, and it may take as long again to get a final decision. however, sanchez health continues to deteriorate and all of this affects his physical and psychological condition. what caused a journalist is being prosecuted for publishing, reliable information about especially grave will crimes committed by the american military in iraq, afghanistan. and it is worth noting that the american cult is not prosecuting the military could commit to these crimes. but the journalist who published information about serious human rights violations. therefore, everything that happened became very indicative of the violation of freedom of the price by the american justice system in relation to other countries. now the united states on june is on for what they deem is one of the largest compromises of

classified information in the history of the united states. and if found guilty and convicted, he could be sent to prison for up to a 175 years. thus because the us of indicted him on 18 counts under the espionage act for publishing. i classified military documents overnighted to the war in iraq and afghanistan, but most crucially, i got included claims that's in the military, even killed thousands of innocent civilians. now, speaking outside the high court here this morning, we've heard from stella morris the partner who's incredibly disappointed and she is saying why and how is this happening? how long can this really go on? for many people have been supporting her outside here. many, many protests is that also are similar questions there 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,

the jews. yeah. 10 years, 10 years in the streets of london, public opinion in the side. but obviously the judge's decision is not on the side of public opinion. it's absolutely devastating, especially this time of year to another christmas without. do you know that is children without lead? stay on the site to free judy. we will prevail eventually. well, interestingly, oh, i run it clear today is international human rights day, and many people outside as a high court say, where is the human rights in the case of june, assault, obviously with did on the grounds of the royal court of justice that they call it the royal court of injustice, and just as it was being announced, a protest even through eggs. this sign directly behind me was just goes to show the sentiment and feeling here on the streets of london. it's

a complicated recent back story. but briefly, this is how the assange saga has lately been developing in 2019, he was forcefully removed by british police from the ecuadorian embassy in london after quito terminated his 7 year asylum there. he had sought refuge in the buildings following sexual assault obligations and sweden, which have now been dropped. america wants the wiki leagues founder extradited on claims of conspiring to hack government computers and publish classified material. in january this year, may british judge rules against extra diving him to the us over fears about his mental health, but also rejected his bail application claiming that he may flee. earlier. we spoke to john reese organizer of the don't extradite songs campaign. who believes that there won't be much progress in the world until freedom of press is universal.

it's remarkable that especially on human rights day that the judges in this case should have found that it would be safe to extradite union assigned to the country where it security service the cia has previously been threatening to kidnap or kill him. it can't be there. all for democracy and freedom of speech in a free press in other people's countries, but not necessarily in their own. and until we get past that poker see and understand. but freedom of the price is a universal human right? because it's part of freedom of speech. will be making very much progress in the very same document that they give those assurances that they say that they can be withdrawn at any time. no, that isn't a insurance. that's an inducement which can be taken away at the will of course, not forget. so i don't think that that assurance or any of the shortage is given by

the united states can really be trusted. let's go live now to william benny a whistleblower and former highly placed intelligence official with the us national security agency. thanks for being with us here. on our team international academy. so as this plays out, there's lots to sort through, there's lots of information. of course, emotions are going to be high, but my 1st question i guess is, are you surprised by this decision? no, not really, but it really both bad for freedom and democracy around the world because for very simply it's if you look at what they're charging him with the 2 counts criminal hacking, assisting, and criminal hacking. i don't know how you do that remotely, because after all, julia, the science was never in afghanistan or any of the places where the data was acquired. so how do you remotely help people if you give them a brute force attack programs to help them force

a pass password. but i would argue the people who are on the networks who act part of the data already had the passwords because they were clear to be on those networks. so even that is a question. so i don't think that we're getting the truth here from anybody in this issue. and yet, i'm sorry, sorry, i didn't mean to interrupt. go ahead. well, as other point point was a publishing date in violation of the us. but that's the united states law. it's not a world wide law, it's not in law in other countries. so there's a real problem with this to. first of all, in 1918 or 1919 supreme court ruling on that issue of the espionage act. suspending 1st amendment rights. they said it was justified in time of war. well, i would point out, we're not in a war now. congress is not declared war and we had no declared war. so that

particular ruling doesn't apply. so the 1st amendment still stands above and beyond . everything else is that i can see in law and in the constitution i, that's the founding documents of our country. so i just don't see how i, any of that really applies here. are there had, if you accept, if you accept that the united states has the right to use its laws, they provide somebody a foreigner from a foreign country for what he said in a foreign country. now then there's reciprocal readings, bits that it got to be argued by other countries, like china or russia or iran, nor anybody in the world could then use their laws as justification to expedite anybody in the world from any other country. you know that, that, that is, is in fact publishing things they don't want publish. so i just don't see how this is going to be an arguable in a court of law. one thing that people don't realize is that america has kind of a complicated relationship with whistleblowers, if you will. i mean,

there are laws protecting them in system services in place for whistle blowers to get their voice heard. but given your experience is whistle blowing. important for keeping the u. s. government in check as the only way you get the truth out of the government. they do not tell you the truth anywhere. i mean, when was the last time you had a verifiable truth from the united states government that they put out to the public? when, when can you just divide from through other sources and leads and method? the validity of what they've been telling you can't look like they've lied. they lie to congress directly. they get caught in lying and they just ignore it. nobody does anything. i mean, they're exempt from the laws that they pass, that that's why we have here in the united states, 2 sets of law, one for those of the people and the rest and those in power have a different set of law. what about americans influence in the decision? by the case high court, do you think there are some wheeling and dealing done there? no,

i think it was on twisting and i bone breaking. that's it. you have to do it ourselves . indeed, now, what about any hope for a sonnet? now, we know that it can be retried by a lower court, but what if anything can be done to prevent him from being extradited? well, i'm not too sure about the legal courts in the u. k. i think they've gone to this the highest court in the, in the u. k. i'm not sure it has the high court, but there might be some legal maneuvering, but i really don't know what's next at this point. like where, where do we go from here? what are his options from the state side? well, i mean, he can argue all kinds of things that, against the constitutional use of this law, the supreme court before justified it only in time of war. well, we're not in a war. so it doesn't justify the 1st amendment, and after all, if they're going to use it against him, whereas the eagle application of the law that mandated in our constitution, in the end, the laws united states,

we have to do equally apply the law. so why are they in dieting? the senior editors at least of the, of the guardian, the new york times the washington post. all of them who have also published this kind of material. why aren't they doing that? that's a violation of our laws. they're not equally applying the law. so what about the way assumptions being treated by western governments? does it where you yes, i mean, wow. i mean, it looks very much like we're, we're, we're becoming what, what the soviet union used to be and what communist china pretty much is still, but i was in the past. so we're adopting their tactics and their techniques and being basically ignoring the laws that are supposed to govern people equally and that we don't have it. all right, willing been a whistleblower and former highly placed intelligence official with the u. s. national security agency. very interesting to hear your thoughts with your

perspective. thanks for being with us here in our international i give right now the u. s. has been pursuing a sancha after he revealed classified information on american military activities during wars in afghanistan and iraq. ah. with the mileage mm. i

mean, our major publications, like the guardian in london or the new york times, dare spiegel, they all published this material in fact one awards for it. ah julian, in fact, it was leaked the material and did what any publisher would do, which is to put it out. he's never been charged with publishing. material that is false or incorrect is a pretty amazing track record i. but yes, it's very myopic on the part of a u. s. media outlets not to understand that if julian is extradited, which is unfortunately looking more and more likely are this will set a legal precedent that any journalist who has in their possession classified material or any publisher that publishes classified material can be held in criminal contempt. it changes the game completely and eviscerate any investigation

into the inner workings of power rushes foreign ministry has slammed. the courts verdict highlighting that it coincides with the end of a summit for democracy hosted by the united states. this shameful, vertical political case against a journalistic and public figure is another manifestation of the cannibalistic worldview of the anglo saxon tandem. the west marks international human rights day and the end of the summit for democracy with dignity. this news is devastating. the persecution of julian saunders, the disgrace, meanwhile bite in his holding his cynical democracy summit and the hypocrisy and the cruelty. we condemn today's u. k. high court decision to allow the expedition of julian songs for the us, which will prove historic for all the wrong reasons. we fully believe that julian saw and has been targeted for his contributions to journalism. meanwhile, classified documents have been laid bare showing how the u. s. appears to have broken diplomatic assurances in another extradition case. similar to that of julian a such,

david mendoza says he only agreed to be extradited by madrid to america on the condition he be allowed to serve the potential sentence in spain. he says, even signed a document with the american and spanish governments, assuring him of that condition. but the u. s. held him in jail for almost 7 years before eventually returning him. and only after he took legal action against america, we spoke to journalist richard met hers who released the documents and the case. you know, they've told us sounds that he can serve any potential sentence in his home country australia. they said the exact same thing to mendoza, they told him just just let him come to the us and he can serve any sentence given back in spain. in mendoza's case, the united states signed a contract, an explicit contract with mendoza, and with spain saying that he must be returned to spain. he cannot be given a life sentence, he kinda be tried for cons, restructuring. they violated this, the u. s. kept him for 6 years and 9 months, the only reason mendoza was allowed to go back to spain is because he sued spain

twice in the spanish supreme court. and he won. and spain threatened to cut off the extradition treaty with the u. s. that is when the u. s. felt pressure, they wanted to keep extra dining people from spain. and so it's only because this was imperiled and in danger of being cancelled that they then sent him back and it was expedited for drug trafficking and money laundering. and he told me, if they did that to him, if the united states did that to mendoza, what are they going to do to julian thought. this is a common practice. the united states violates its assurances, its diplomatic agreements, whether it's iran nuclear deal, whether it's, you know, a prison transfer assurances for a saundra window that they're going to violate the mark my words. this is going to happen. mendoza, certain of this, can i interviewed him for this? and he's seen dozens of people from spain, from columbia, from mexico, from all over the world who've been given assurances. and once they get to the us, it's violated these documents that i published. they weren't seen by the court yet . they weren't submitted in court. and i'm convinced that if the judge had seen them, if the judge's study these documents, they could not let the extra sure go ahead because they've accepted that

a song just suicidal. they've accepted the judge, apply the test correctly, that he would be even more suicidal. he would, he would drive an extradition to deal with, drive him to take like me, except at all this. so the only reason they allow the appeal to go ahead today was that the judge should have allow us to give assurances before and that they trust the us assurances, well, i'm very sorry, but these classified documents say otherwise russia is foreign. ministry has criticized of the west for its behavior after the ukrainian worship approached russian territory warning that it could even lead to conflict in europe. kevin owen got the latest from our correspondence. caleb mob in new york, and you're a shop of all of us who is in crimea, where we had to 1st and not so long ago we heard from the russian foreign ministry regarding the latest incident in the con man cursed trade, whether ukrainian a ship called don bonds had approached russian territory, vultures, and then turned back without reporting to the russian coast. god. also on thursday,

december, the 9th russian flies, his escorted 5 u. s. and french miniature aircraft over the blank. see, according to the russian national defense control center and the russian foreign ministry added that nato supports ukraine and its aggressive actions instead of holding it bike. moscow is concerned that nato complain was trying to miss so systems with a minimum flight time to russia on ukrainian soil. so let's take a listen to the ministry. had to say a cruise has been set to draw ukraine into nature. such irresponsible behavior is an unacceptable threat to all security provoking serious risks for all parties involved ought to a large scale conflict in europe. earlier, the f as b has call the actions of the ukrainian ship. don't boss in this. see a bizarre, a provocation, and a threat to the safety of navigation back. just to remind you not far away from where i'm standing in the crimea, see, to have courage, a collision between the russian and ukrainian fleets. and the curse trade have

nearly happened. it started when they don't boss ship left the port of mar you pull saturday morning and moved towards the curse trade. the ukrainian defense minister said they don't boss ship was in the seo bazaar legally since it was a shed water area. express his surprise at moscow, so a threat from an unarmed search and rescue vessel. and also the ship incident took place at the same time when the talks between the president. so the united states and ukraine, joe biden, and of la demi zalinski were under way. crimea officials expressed consent and urged the you unsecure to counsel to discuss the problem that can leads to a wide spread confrontation. meanwhile, here encourage local people also see the latest incident as provocation, and he has some of the opinions at the youngest of all will provoke god. this was blatant provocation of it was intended to showed that as biden's lensky spoke, russia was restricting passage for ukrainian. shirley through the cut, right, right. but i am confident that there was a tp crumbled ready to comb, recorded ball as it happens to put they wanted to paint. russia is guilty. they

always blame russia for valium, lost on yellow, that looking on the grounds. little rock, arkansas for the word that he's green would continue with the publications over. and they're likely doing it on purpose to anger rationally on the secret of a jets is just a pleasant way, provoke c o. c? yes, frequent, i'm if he's with russia. so for example, he had told me to, and i say the roys me of you would you were heard for really over her feelings are running high in order to go see ations on the diplomacy than me going on that very day. so was this unexpected, this incident last night, given everything? julia's said, these provocations haven't simply been going on for a couple weeks. they've been happening for quite some time. there's been quite a pattern of escalation of the u. s. media has been playing up this idea that russia is planning an invasion of ukraine. a russia has been adamant that they are not doing any such thing. we now have joe biden coming forward and saying that as a result of his recent talks with putin or the threat of russia supposedly invading

ukraine ah, has been lifted up. but we have various voices in us media who were saying they're not so sure about biden's effectiveness in terms of diplomacy. and they think there could be a danger of war on the horizon. here's some of what we've heard. do you not discount no matter how far fetched it may seem a hot war with russia? yes, that is a lunatic idea. but that doesn't mean joe biden won't do it. now these statements don't seem baseless, if you look at what's actually been taking place along the border, you can talk about the intensification of activity from u. s. strategic bomber aviation. and russia has come forward and said that the united states is actually we're hersey rocking, dropping nuclear bombs near the ukrainian russian border. this point, members of the u. s. congress coming out and saying that they would consider bombing russia. now, there's been a firestorm of criticism from their colleagues. i would not rule out american

troops on the ground. we don't do, you know, we don't rule out 1st use nuclear action. anyone who would propose or even consider what he is saying, as an option, must be insane. a sociopath or a status launcher nuclear attack, that would start a war that would destroy the american people, our country, and the world, so that we can save ukraine's democracy. i mean, it literally is insane. now, the backdrop for all of this is the intense division within us society. we have a situation with the white house, says one thing, other politicians are saying something completely different will be waiting to see how this further develops. and this comes as ukraine's president zelinski says he doesn't rule out a referendum on the dumbass region breaking away. meanwhile, the u. s. revealed on thursday that 30 javelin anti tech missile systems were

delivered to ukraine in october, ortiz correspondent or guardian takes a wider look at the ukraine. tensions the situation on the ground in ukraine is perhaps, worst of all, 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 that we have, we have seen the united states pacifically pumping weapons into ukraine for the ukrainian 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 and the highest of you crave. there are more than 2000000 civilians are trapped in the conflict soon in east than ukraine. and they're just having to break it out, people going to sending their kids to school. they will have to worry about a tang shallow

a mortar round landing there on the grounds of the school. vladimir putin is like and what is happening to a walker, sorta. so she, i should say that russo foby 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. all we hear about is these potential plans emanating from the she, i of 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 does unclear how they would be able to achieve this with, with, even if we believe the c i and others with, with such a small force. 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. ukrainian, artillery and forces destroyed or damaged 5 times more civilian infrastructure

at schools at workplace as that is people's homes. 5 times war infrastructure was destroyed and damaged by ukrainian forces, the vice versa. you also have the situation in which you, ukraine, still still 6 years on, refuses to negotiate with the breakaway republics. aside from that, there are 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 awake. and what are, what that does is it emboldens you credit. and unfortunately, the situation is such that aside from very one sided coverage, you have a situation in which piece simply isn't desirable. we spoke to journalist and author thomas fast bender, who thinks of the escalation over ukraine must be stopped before it spirals out of control. there is sir, something that has not been here for decades. that is the perspective,

the real perspective or for a major european war. so he and now the key for a potential war in europe lies now 100 percent with the are the key of government if key, if decides to provoke a russian invasion and that there will be russian invasion as soon as key of starts a major offensive against the break away republics are in that case automatically. busy the blank shack will be full of western support for the ukrainian side. so the western narrative says that whatever i crimea, or whatever, a key if does to reclaim or even re conquer are the breakaway republics, or even crimea would be executing their sovereign rights on their sovereign territory. and we should hold that there, that both the washington and moscow and of course are all too also of paris and berlin. understand that there is a real risk of

a european war. here. it is for me this hour, i will be back in about 30 minutes with another phone. fresh look. can you say with a desire to international ah, i have often said transparency for the powerful privacy for the vow, less bitter case about privacy. what people care about is power. julian assange has become a symbol of the battle. the privacy information is power. that's what's going on in the world. a huge struggle with the governments and corporations to want to keep information secret and others who the democratic rights should be pushed forward. and people have a right to know what their minds are doing. watch how assange helped shift the