CIA Spying on Assange’s Privileged Legal Conversations 339


Here is an image of Julian and I talking in the Ecuadorean Embassy, part of the spycam footage that was commissioned by the CIA from Spanish security firm Global. Julian and I were discussing a number of overseas missions to liaise with foreign governments, which I was carrying out on his behalf.

(Incidentally can anybody explain why the precise image you see there is an image which does not appear at any stage when you run the video? I am not even hinting at anything suspicious, just technically interested).

Having been on the inside and knowing their capabilities, I have always assumed that the security services know everything I say and do, so I cannot claim this comes as a great shock or that my behaviour would have been much altered had I known. The shadowing on those overseas trips was unsubtle in any case, more of a warning off than attempt at covert surveillance. As anyone who has read my books will realise, I have always rather enjoyed the more shadowy elements, with me since my former profession. During a visit to Washington in September 2016 which has become somewhat infamous, for fun I entered an establishment of low repute and spent an afternoon giving out free flash drives with my tips to various young ladies and barmen, just to give the FBI lots of particularly wild geese to chase. I have wondered occasionally whether subsequent embarrassment is connected to Robert Mueller’s lack of desire to accept my evidence. (If you have no idea what I am talking about do not worry, you haven’t missed much and just skip this para).

While I am gently rambling away, I might add that it was most amusing to be portrayed as a housebound obsessive blogger by MSM journalists attacking me on Twitter over my Salmond coverage: that is attacked by MSM journalists who have never done anything in their life except copy and paste the odd establishment press release and pick up fat pay cheques from their billionaire owners.

There is however a point to this post. As the ABC news item above shows, Julian’s privileged conversations with his lawyers on his legal defence were being spied on, by the government which is now seeking to extradite him. In any jurisdiction in the civilised world, that should be enough immediately to bring proceedings to a halt. The first witnesses to be called when the hearing resumes are the witnesses who will attest to this. The defence have requested an adjournment of the case beyond May 18, because at present they have no access to their client due to Covid 19 lockdown in the jail, and because it is not at all clear witnesses will be able to travel from abroad by 18 May. Judge Vanessa Baraitser has refused to reschedule.

It is also worth asking why has nothing like that ABC coverage been seen on the BBC or Sky, where this case is actually being heard and Julian is a prisoner?

With grateful thanks to those who donated or subscribed to make this reporting possible.

This article is entirely free to reproduce and publish, including in translation, and I very much hope people will do so actively. Truth shall set us free.

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339 thoughts on “CIA Spying on Assange’s Privileged Legal Conversations

1 2 3
  • Tatyana

    Maybe Vanessa will surprise us all? Judging by bits of information about her, she has a core.
    I’m trying to be optimistic on Julian’s fate. I hope so much he will be free.

  • Doug Scorgie

    Alex April 16th 13: 31

    “… she [Baraitser] does not appear on the UK Register of Electors.”
    ……………………………………………………………..
    Registering to vote anonymously

    You may be able to register anonymously if you can show that there’s a good reason, for example if you’re concerned about your safety.
    Your details will not appear on either version of the electoral register if you register anonymously.

    • michael norton

      Could the woman be a judge in England, without being born here
      certainly she could not be a judge in England without being a U.K. National?

      That would ludicrous.

      • N_

        Can people please get a grip. Vanessa Baraitser is a real person and she does appear on public records.

        @Michael – I do not know whether she is a British citizen. You do not have to be a British citizen to be a judge in England. You can be a citizen of Ireland or of a Commonwealth country (such as South Africa). As for where a person was born, that has no bearing on their eligibility for judicial appointment.

        Regarding the electoral register, there are four possibilities for a given person:

        1. They are on the open register
        2. They are on the full register but have opted out of the open register
        3. They have registered to vote anonymously
        4. They are on none of the above and therefore can’t vote

        I would imagine that most people who comment on this blog and live in Britain come under 2. Frankly if you want to be on the electoral register and you don’t tick the box to stay off the open register, you are an idiot. (For a comparison: everybody knows that envelopes can be opened, but that’s no excuse for writing all of your letters on postcards.)

        Note that 3 is not the same as 2. I would be interested to find out more about what kind of people come under 3. What is the process by which they are enabled to vote? Is it like having a number-only bank account or what? What gets printed on their polling cards? Do they mostly vote by post? Are they by any chance concentrated in certain constituencies?

        Incidentally Vanessa’s father Michael Baraitser is an animal torturer (source). Scum like that usually prefer to keep their home addresses secret, including in relation to companies they are directors of.

        • N_

          Answering my own question: numbers of electors in each constituency who are registered anonymously is supposedly published by the Office of National Statistics here, but I couldn’t get the spreadsheet table (Table 1) to open with either Excel or Libre Office.

          • N_

            I have now got the Table to open using Zoho. I read the description wrong: the data is not for each constituency, but aggregated for “each constituent country of England and Wales” (sic) and for each region of England. In 2018 the total number of electors who were registered anonymously in England or Wales was 2658, including 265 in London and 520 in the West Midlands. For comparison, the number of overseas registered electors in England and Wales was 117511, and the number who opted out of the open register was 25695233 – that’s a majority of the electorate.

            Who are the less than 3000 “anonymous ones” then?
            Animal torturers have got to be on the list. Who else? Some army, e.g. SAS?
            Maybe some convicted and released paedophile abusers?

        • Cascadian

          “It was really the most dreadful 6 months I have ever spent.”

          Did you read all of it N_?

          After reading the whole thing he comes across as not top flight but a reasonably nice person. A person who did indeed spend 6 months experimenting on animals but didn’t enjoy a single moment of it.

          It seems that not much of it has rubbed off on his daughter.

      • michael norton

        Perhaps are slightly more interesting question could be
        “If you were not born in England, what would be your motivation for becoming a judge in England?”

        Baraitser seems to do a lot of extradition work?

    • Alex

      Thanks Doug
      I gather she’s been here since the 70’s. Has she really left no voting footprint in all that time? What would be her motive for all this time? No public index at all. Beyond enigmatic and her history in SA, if we have any resourceful readers there, would be potentially most interesting.

  • Doug Scorgie

    michael norton
    April 18, 2020 at 19:05

    Could the woman be a judge in England, without being born here
    certainly she could not be a judge in England without being a U.K. National?
    ……………………………………………………………………..
    Becoming a Judge

    “Basic requirements
    Judicial appointments are open only to citizens (including those holding dual nationality) of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland or a Commonwealth country.”
    https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/judges-career-paths/becoming-a-judge/

    Perhaps she has dual nationality.

    • N_

      @Doug – I don’t know whether you misread that. A person is eligible to be a judge in the English jurisdiction if they are a citizen of Britain, Ireland, or a Commonwealth country. The reference to dual nationality means it doesn’t matter what other citizenships they hold, so e.g. they can be a judge if they are a dual citizen of Malaysia and Thailand.

      Or of South Africa and Israel.

      • Tatyana

        there’s something wrong with a South African/Israeli citizen deciding whether an Australian citizen can be extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom

        • michael norton

          Indeed Tatyana, it is rather more than something wrong, I would say a lot wrong.
          It looks like this woman is a political appointee.

          • Tatyana

            Courtenay, well, actually I don’t know about your judge. Just reasoning, abstractedly because this is a ‘hot topic’ for me, and I want to know opinion of other commentators on it.

            And that’s why it’s “hot” for me:
            We are planning a referendum on amendments to the Constitution. So far, everyone is concerned about the issue of additional presidential terms, but I personally am very interested in the question under Article 71, paragraph “t”:
            “… to restrict the filling of state and municipal posts … (to persons) with citizenship of a foreign state, or a residence permit … in the territory of a foreign state, as well as … opening and having accounts (deposits), storing cash and valuables in foreign banks”

            History shows that officials hold office for their 4-5 years and then safely leave for, e.g, the UK or Israel – countries that do not ask questions about the origin of capital, and do not extradite corruption or other crimes suspects to Russia.

            I also don’t want foreign citizens to pass laws for my country or to judge people of my country.

          • michael norton

            What motive could be held by a person, born in one country moving to another country and seeking to be a judge in a country not of their birth.

            It is quite hard to understand why anybody would contemplate becoming a judge
            but to imagine that some person from a far off land, should impose law on you, in your own land of birth, is irrational and bizarre.

          • nevermind

            to restrict the filling of state and municipal posts … (to persons) with citizenship of a foreign state, or a residence permit … in the territory of a foreign state, as well as … opening and having accounts (deposits), storing cash and valuables in foreign banks”

            Ooops, that would be a bit of an own goal for the upper echelons, incl. Putin, of Russia, the oligarchs who have not left, those who hold large holdings of monies and valuables in London Switzerland and Cyprus of all places..
            Looks like he wants to keep Russian assets at home, something the English should also look at, their global offshore operations have siphoned billions past the exchequer, or is it trillions, Maybe the queen would like to show example by repatriating her funds back to where it belongs. BTW. Capital Gains Tax has gone up this month, its now 18%

          • Tatyana

            nevermind, re. “to keep Russian assets at home”

            Undoubtedly, this would be good, because we work and work again and work hard more, but taxes paid to the treasury still do not bring prosperity. This is especially noticeable in vulnerable segments of the population, which are completely dependent on support from the state treasury.
            One of the last examples that struck me – Boris Mints, moved to London with his whole family. I would not be surprised if all the money of his pension fund is now beyond the reach of the Russian state.

  • nevermind

    Tatyana, London is ‘flooded’ with Russians and their money, some which has landed in Tory party coffers. The report on Russian runaways and their support for political parties, which had been announced to be released in Dec. is still outstanding.

    • Tatyana

      I know.
      That was the reason that made me laugh, when Mrs. may stated “we will investigate into the origin of money…” She meant ‘russian money’. At that moment I said to myself “good luck, Mrs. May with trying to look into snake nest, you can start your premiership countdown now.”

      You have a wonderful saying about curiosity and a cat. We have “любопытной Варваре на базаре нос оторвали”.

      • nevermind

        I wonder whether Vlad’s pile of cash in Switzerland is also going to be repatriated, should this paragraph ever see the light of day/happen to be implemented.

        • Tatyana

          I have nothing against rich people if they earn honestly. I believe that everyone should be equal and have equal chances.

          I am against the tricks and injustices that give some people a financial advantage. People who use such loopholes in laws for profit — they have an excuse “I did everything in accordance with the rules” – and in this case it’s really hard to blame them (except in violation of normal moral standards). So in the end, those who wrote laws allowing this to be done are responsible for the withdrawal of Russian money abroad.

    • Paul+Barbara

      @ nevermind April 19, 2020 at 14:34
      BoJo and his controllers would love the report to come out, but it’s this darned virus business; the virus’s (rather than the dog) ate the report.

      • Tatyana

        I suspect that this report will not be released for a very simple reason, that is directly on the surface, namely, the “Russian oligarchs” will prove to be not “Russians” at all, but ex-soviet Georgian, Ukrainian, Israeli citizens, the highest rank leadership in these newly ‘independent states’.

  • Mary

    Then there was the time when Johnson played tennis with the
    wife of

    ‘Boris Johnson has defended a £160,000 donation made to the Conservatives by a former Russian minister’s wife in return for a tennis match with him. Confirming the 2014 match, which was also set to include David Cameron, took place, he warned against creating a “miasma of suspicion” against Russians.

    “To the best of my knowledge, all possible checks have been made and… will continue to be made” on donations. Lubov Chernukhin had bid at a fundraising auction at a Tory event.

    Mr Johnson was mayor of London in 2014. The match was reported at the time – Mrs Chernukhin is a longstanding Conservative Party donor whose husband served under Vladimir Putin.’
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43448559

    Easy money. Easily bought. LOL.

    • Tatyana

      Thanks for the link, Mary.

      For the first time I learned about this type of earnings in the news, it was ukrainian president Poroshenko, who bought time to spend with Mr. Trump.
      So, they sell time to spend with them? Looks like the most ancient of all known jobs 🙂 Must be normal activity among them the whores politicians.
      Is it legal in the UK?

      • nevermindw

        Theres no business like show business and scum always floats to the top, to meet with porkfat, mingling next to the cream which also demands similar attention, at the top, enveloped in a game of influencing, attaching another string pulling weight/ information in their direction.
        Whores have mothers and children, I am sure many are emphatic, but they are far more honest and down to the point than any of the types we are talking about. Like you said, they are living by the law not by morals as we understand it.

      • Tatyana

        It seems that I need to clarify my position, again. I have nothing against prostitutes who honestly provide their services and don’t pretend to be something else, e.g. journalists, or politicians.
        I am generally for transparency and calling a spade a spade.

        • Tatyana

          ha ha
          ‘If you pay £15,000 you get a high-ranking Cabinet minister, £10,000 a middle-ranking minister, and £5,000 will give you a backbencher or junior minister,’ says one source at Tory HQ.’

          It’s big money, the price must include permission to grab the backside or similar, I think 🙂
          I’m curious if there is a reward system for the best-selling members within the party? Share of profit, or bonus?

  • yesindyref2

    Bit late to this, but my guess is video camera + higher definition still camera. Hard to say but maybe a very slightly different image attribute (position). With the still camera an inch closer horizontally to subjects.

  • yesindyref2

    By the way, the more people read your stuff, even people like me that have no real interest in the Assange thing, the better you’re protected from the CIA, MI5, SIS, GRU and MASS [1], and the less likely therefore to disappear in a puff of smoke along with the I spy dragons ooh aah.

    [1] Martian Alliance Security Services

    • Brianfujisan

      But Even So yesindyref2

      I have been on a Dozen or so All Under One Banner Marches…And several Hope over fear Rally’s…As you will Know Craig been A speaker at many of them

      But, We should all be Very concerned over the UK Evil treatment of Juilain.. Here is a Hero being Tortured For Telling us of wanton Slaughterings of Innocent souls in The M.E, Afghanistan Ect.

  • Giyane

    Presumably this publication of Craig’s humanitarian visit to Julian Assange is designed to intimidate Craig, in exactly the same way the Daily Record published a picture of his house.

    These weirdos in Alt Right politics always conceive that they are damaging people of a different political mind to their own , by publishing things which in their own narrow-minded circles would be considered outrageous. They seem to have no concept of the mainstream view that visiting a prisoner is rewardful, and publishing the truth is honourable.

    They end up destroying themselves by their obvious blindness to ordinary people’s ideas. Was the ABC story about the illegality of the CIA’s spying?. I particularly like Craig’ s politely standing in the doorway to avoid intruding into his friend’s domestic personal space. But I doubt whether ABC even considered the heroism in these pictures most of us can see.

    • Rhys+Jaggar

      There is nothing ‘new’ about the CIA engaging in illegal activities. It was set up to do that each and every day.

      What would be ‘news’ would be the CIA actually respecting democracy, respecting international law and stopping engaging in diamond smuggling, arms racketeering and drug trafficking.

  • Antonym

    Ironically covid19 has made many people “prisoners” be it at home; those in old age homes are totally locked down and at high infection risk. Some “Belmarsh” for many, thanks to corona, the great leveler, including Julian’s accusers, judges and guards…

    • Mary

      To match the mood of the ‘nation’, the calm sunny weather has been replaced with dry conditions accompanied by a chill easterly wind gusting up to 52mph in Cumbria. Hope Julian is OK and surviving. He won’t be experiencing any ‘weather’ in his cell in Belmarsh.

  • Tatyana

    All that surveillance of Assange, the persecution and the desire to certainly limit his contacts is not “revenge” for disclosure. It looks like Assange could have another information, which is extremely important for the United States.

      • Tatyana

        pretzelattack
        I can assume that Assange isn’t aware of the importance of this piece of information, because he lacks key knowledge. He was barred from the Internet and had only limited communication with people, so maybe he dosn’t know news (place, name, event, etc.) that would have prompted him to guess what is the connection between what he already knows and what he doesn’t know in his current situation.

        It may also explain why the CIA so carefully monitors his contacts and keeps Assange in isolation. They want to make a list of possible channels for transmitting this key information. The CIA probably knows that this information was already leaked, so Assange is needed alive but totally controlled. Exactly what we observe.

        Also I think, the fact that Assange is alive is itself a proof that Assange is only a publisher, not a “owner” or “extractor” of the info. Otherwise he would simply repeat Epstein’s fate.

  • Paul Peppiatt

    Tatyana. I think you are right – Wikileaks may well have something damning on Trump. Furthermore the offer of a pardon to Julian if he would say no collusion and his refusal suggest to me that both sides know this something. A dangerous truth. I think this truth may relate to a Cocktail party at the Mayflower hotel on the 27th April 2016. At this meeting, Rex Tillerson, Sessions, Ambassador for Singapore,Ambassador for Russia, Bud Mcfarland and Manafort I believe. The purpose of this meeting, Rosneft Oil a former state owned oil company negotiating a partnership with Exon Mobil, hence Rex Tillerson who has been given the highest award a non Russian can receive. The plan is to drill under the Artic shelf to get at 87 billion barrels of oil and apparently this would be a lot easier if that ice would just melt! This meeting was sponsored by The Centre for National Interest.

  • michael norton

    Not just Julian.
    It is now being admitted that we are all being surveilled much more.
    It is also becoming known that there is a restriction or reporting and restriction on information being made available to us, the public.
    It is also becoming known
    that many states are clamping down on any democratic movements, within their state.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52363305

    • Tatyana

      The problem of total surveillance is that only a limited circle has access to the information, and only this circle decides how to use it, how to interpret it. And this circle has power to make decisions.
      This is not only a problem of surveillance, this is generally the problem of everything. It’s very wrong to give all the functions in one hand.

      • michael norton

        Shades of Aldous Leonard Huxley
        Brave New World

        Limited information to be given to the masses, the few masters know it all and live much longer.

  • Old+Red+Sandstone

    Yesterday’s ‘Guardian’ UK politics blog included a mention of Nazharin Ratcliffe’s continued freedom from impprisonment in Iran. I submitted a post saying that this was good news, asking when the same would be granted to Julian Assange, and querying whether the UK was less civilised than Iran in such treatment of political prisoners.

    When I checked a few hours later, to see if there were comments in response, I saw that my post had disappeared, together with another post made a few minutes later.
    Nothing offensive in either post to cross acceptable boundaries, so why?

    • On the train

      That is so disturbing . Is there any way you could ask why your comment was removed? They must have an explanation .

  • Eric+McCoo

    Ecuador bankrolled a multimillion-dollar spy operation to protect and support Julian Assange in its central London embassy, employing an international security company and undercover agents to monitor his visitors, embassy staff and even the British police, according to documents seen by the Guardian.

    Over more than five years, Ecuador put at least $5m (£3.7m) into a secret intelligence budget that protected the WikiLeaks founder while he had visits from Nigel Farage, members of European nationalist groups and individuals linked to the Kremlin.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/15/revealed-ecuador-spent-millions-julian-assange-spy-operation-embassy-london

    • Antonym

      And how does the Guardian knows this? Through Mi5/6 of course, their pimps.
      From Wikileaks protectors to CIA pressitutes in a short time span, make one wonder about their past loyalties.

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