There will be a post later today or tomorrow morning on the last day of the Assange hearing, and a few concluding thoughts. Meantime this is very interesting.
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oh, I’m curious what is there so very interesting, that I’m not able to see? tried to follow the link but failed, here is the screenshot
http://prntscr.com/urr5m0
Tatyana-the article makes clear that Dr Blackwood, the prosecution’s expert witness on, inter alia, whether Mr Assange poses a suicide risk if imprisoned in the US, may not have disclosed Kings’ College’s funding from U.S. and U.K. Government and military. In other words possibly undisclosed (to the court) a conflict of interest.
Not quite convinced by the logic of the conflict of interest. Expert witnesses do tend to float between the defence and the prosecution depending upon the case. An expert witness clearly can’t act for one party where they have received direct payment or privileged information from the other. But does a medical expert (instructed privately) but who also works and is paid for by the NHS have a conflict in a medical negligence case against a fellow NHS employee where the NHS are being sued for vicarious liability?
Just asking…
Agreed, I don’t think it is necessarily a conflict of interest. It shows some sympathies one way or another, and one might suggest that military funds academic research to nudge this kind of thing, but that’s different from a conflict of interest.
To put it another way, if a witness for the defence had declined military funding for some ideological reasons then would that have been a conflict of interest? I don’t think so.
S
If someone is being funded by a friend of the prosecution of how is that not a conflict of interest.
You must be extremely cynical if you think a person on the payroll of Gchq and the cia and us and UK military can be objective on Julian Assange “s case..
Maybe the revolving door was spinning so fast under Boris’s rah rah government and you forgot which side if the door you were on.
You are on a whistle blowers website. It blows whistles about corruptiion like your comment.
Hi Giyane, I agree that the defence could have challenged Blackwood on this, especially given the prosecution’s behaviour towards the defence witnesses. But I don’t think it would have led to anything, just as the prosecution allegations of witness bias mainly seemed to have failed.
But the point is whether the potential conflict of interest is disclosed or not. If you recall, the prosecution asked almost all expert witnesses called by the defence, whether they were being paid.
It worked for me Tatyana. It is a report on the Declassified website. Maybe if you try again you will be able to link to it.
you have to whitelist it in your ad blocker.
Works for me.
Here’s the summary, though the whole article needs to be read:
“US prosecution witness works at Institute of Psychiatry funded by UK military although is not personally funded by it.
Witness leads research group which works “in collaboration” with centre set up with US Department of Defense funding.
He co-leads the group with academic whose work is often funded by UK military.
Institute’s partner department is closely linked to the Anglo-American military and intelligence communities and created a course for British intelligence officers on behalf of the UK government.
Responding to Declassified, witness says: “I had no conflicts [of interest] to declare”.
Also the interlinking worlds of academia (always needing funding), psychiatry, military intelligence, and cyber-research. You have a picture of the UK and US governments very keen to be ahead of the game in ‘mind wars’, both in dealing with the psychology of soldiers and whole ‘game’ of cyber warfare and intelligence. It all sounds much more like preparedness for more wars than the opening up of what war does to those fighting and healing their minds.
remember the psychologists so eager to help the military with waterboarding. i think one was a president of the american psychological association at some point; at any rate they made a lot of money doing it.
yes + kept in mind what happened to British solders in ‘desert storm’ and their ‘vaccination’ and how many later died… the trial shows that our democracy is placed in a medically induced coma and I would like that at least the mainstream media would shack – up. THANK you Mister Craig Murray and to some of the other writers to inform us of all this.
Thank you. They block access from Russia, but I managed to open the link using proxy.
By the way, the same with dockyardpress.com, of which Greum Maol Stevenson is the Editor-in-Chief 🙂 Greum Maol Stevenson complained in the previous thread that russian server blocks ProtonMail 🙂
How do you like it?
no access http://prntscr.com/urs5nn
proxy on http://prntscr.com/urs7ay
I played this on/off proxy trick for several times, just to make sure that this is not an accident
Funny, I had no problem with the link.
The fact that Tatyana can’t access the site using a Russian ISP, but can access it via a proxy connection outside Russia, suggests that the site is blocking Russian access.
Are you in Russia or using a special Russian VPN? If not, I don’t see what’s particularly “funny” (either peculiar or amusing). Please elaborate.
Send a friendly info to the address “bugspray” at the domain “dailymaverick.co.za” to let them know they can’t be read in russia and ask them to file a complaint with cloudflare as a paying customer.
Thank you! I tried to ping them through Whois service – no problems, they get and return packages, nothing was lost, so I conclude someone is blocking russian IPs.
We have the same problem in the UK, my internet provider blocked the report about the prison hell of US maximum security prisons, apparently because of a legal injunction; with a proxy it was unlocked and I could access it.
That is hilarious about Greum. He obviously has a hangup about Russia, especially with his confected story about Craig ‘blocking’ his email provider. But he is trying to make a name for himself, so I suppose making a song and dance about Craig is one avenue for self-glorification. Pity he doesn’t have an actual argument though, just a conspiracy theory.
Rather stupid conspiracy theory, must I say, because the information is easily accessible – just put ‘Protonmail’ in google search bar and get Wiki page – that’s how I learned that Protonmail is blocked by russian federal body. No need to invent stories about Mr. Murray or russian mail servers. Good method this googling is, highly recommend 🙂 of course this only works for those who really intend to figure smth out.
Tatyana,
Re: Blocked URLs, etc
I’ve posted a comment addressed to to you in the Discussion Forums section –
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/forums/topic/russian-tv-programmes-with-english-subtitles/#post-61323
Greum is a paranoid guy, so he probably doesn’t use the spy network Google. lol
Indeed, Ian.
Who, being in a sound memory and a clear mind, would use this disgusting Google, when all the answers are already right in their head.
You should see his poetry.
I’d suggest to all to only use google as a search engine of last resort and instead use search engines which are more privacy focused. Not necessarily just to avoid spying but to help break google’s monopoly on online advertising and avoid tracking etc etc
https://restoreprivacy.com/private-search-engine/
Have a read through the above link for search engine alternatives.
One may need to use google for some things but mostly not and why give them all that data to manipulate if you don’t have to.
Oh my! Does he actually write poems, or is it another English euphemism?
Herrings are red, devils are blue,
Russia is evil and so are you!
I suppose his poetry might be like this 🙂
Not as subtle as that, Tatyana.
I’m falling into increasing despair reading Your account of the proceedings. And one of the things I’m having increasing trouble with is the tactics of Assange’s defence team, to the extent that I incline more and more to the view that they’ve been got at.
The testimony of “Witness 2” of Day 21 provided a jaw-dropping account of illegal (and possibly criminal) activity on the part of the American authorities. With that evidence in the pulbic legal domain it would have been almost impossible to extradite Julian. But most of it, from a legal perspective, will be consigned to the memory hole.
Why on earth was that witness one of the last to be called instead of one of the first?
Stonky. Totally agree. The defence is the worst I have ever seen in a high proflle case. Maybe there’s a familial link between Barista and Lewis who are both Jewish. Barista is a zionist, not sure about Lewis. The case should have been ruled a mistrial as soon as the US changed direction, but the feeble defence went along with it as though they were on message with the US.
I’ve read all Craig wrote about the case and I didn’t get an impression of defece team being “got at”. They may be clumsy at times but it didn’t seem malicious to me.
Anyway, where did you get any information on Barista’s worldview?
I wonder how “Moderately depressed” our Dr Strangeglove would be after experiencing what Julian has gone through in UK let alone if he’s shipped out to US Max ! The play, book and films about this case will have all these sub plots. The background of prosecution witnesses and casting for them……
The defence have lined up a stellar array of witnesses, almost all of whom have run rings around Lewis and demolished their flimsy, illegally acquired ‘case’ against him. The constraints they are operating under are a feature of the system they have to operate under, bossed by Baraitser to their disadvantage. I think you are allocating blame in the wrong place. You may wish for a Hollywood speech or action, but it won’t come and it won’t help.
“The defence is the worst I have ever seen in a high proflle case”
The witnesses were really only the tip of iceberg of the defence case, most of the defence case is contained in their written arguments and it is far more based on law than the witnesses.
I think they are still vulnerable on the hacking charge as I do not think Patrick Eller was a very helpful witness and the skeleton arguments display some muddy thinking on this charge and this may cost them.
For example Eller testified he thought the purpose was hacking, but simply hacking for downloading movies. It is very difficult where he got that idea from and as the prosecution has very correctly stated that is a possible defence. It is not barrier to extradition. There were some benefits in have an ex US army computer forensics expert, but it should have been balanced with someone from the UK.
Whilst waiting for Mr Murray’s next article, I really urge all to read John Pilger’s summation of the hearing by way of a question and answer format. It is published on Counterpunch. Mr Pilger’s eloquence manages to make the horrific narrative uplifting. No mean feat.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/10/02/eyewitness-to-the-agony-of-julian-assange/
Came to post this, it is also on Pilger’s website.
http://johnpilger.com/articles/eyewitness-to-the-trial-and-agony-of-julian-assange
Hey stonky
Here’s the wikileaks Post trail discussion featuring our man Craig, Jen Robinson(Julian’s council), Kristinn Hraffnson(wikileaks editor) John Shipton(Jillian father) & Joseph Farrell (wikileaks ambassador)
The panel discussion starts at 29 minutes in its ripped from a live feed so it’s a bit shonky. It’s preceded by the Statement from Julian’s fiancé, Stella Moris-Smith Robertson
Oh yeah! The link!!
Consortium News – ASSANGE CASE SUMMARY: Jen Robinson, Kristinn Hraffnson, John Shipton, Craig Murray & Joseph Farrell – YouTube (1:07:27)
Panel discussion begins @ 28m 20s
Dearest Craig Murray, no comments. I’m tired, if I get some power I’ll spend it to Exatrition Trial #Assange, which you are reporting. I’m following you, when I find something you wrote, that is good to notice it more people, I expanded your concepts. *Soul Damage*!! I wait to step back in safe #Assange to ask some orientation help for me.
Some service providers block the link, I couldn’t access via TOR, but here is the specific link to plug into your browser:
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-02-revealed-key-assange-prosecution-witness-is-part-of-academic-cluster-which-has-received-millions-of-pounds-from-uk-and-us-militaries/
The fact that the work being done into ‘wellbeing’ on behalf of the security services is classified indicates that it is not all clean !
In my opinion, this work probably falls into five main areas:
> Ways to ensure the military can cope with the actual stress and horrors of war (wellbeing);
> Protecting military organisation(s) from legal process;
> Use of psychological methods in the media;
> More ‘efficient’ ways to interrogate people;
> Use of psychological methods in torture by the military.
Of course I may be wrong, but since it’s all secret we won’t know …
Stevie Boy
Our army torture brainwashes its own troops to harden them and remove their conscience. Obviously they don’t have to do the rendition bit.
When they return to civilian life it is not post traumatic shock that makes them go apologies, it’s the fucking military and brainwashing shit.
One of the obvious ways to. Never admit the army’s Dr Mengele psychopathy is to get psychiatric white coated academics to think up alternative causes for why their ex soldiers can’t cope.
These shrinks” heads are mostly in stuck up their bum holes . That’s why their salaries are so high they have to be paid for the from the MOD budget.
Stonky. Totally agree. The defence is the worst I have ever seen in a high proflle case. Maybe there’s a familial link between Barista and Lewis who are both Jewish. Barista is a zionist, not sure about Lewis. The case should have been ruled a mistrial as soon as the US changed direction, but the feeble defence went along with it as though they were on message with the US.
I have to apologise at this stage for not reading all your reports on the trial but I found it too depressing so have only dipped into it from time to time. I realise this is a bit pathetic on my part but in the meantime I try to retweet as many of the tweets supporting Julian as I can. Thank you for all your hard work and take care.
So you didn’t read all the reports because they were depressing you. Imagine what Assange did to deserve this and how he feels. Nah, you shouldn’t upset yourself over some “details”. Just keep on retweeting and not reading the reports and everything will be fine because you deserve happiness. So, try to think happy thoughts. Don’t bother yourself with depressing stuff. It’s not like this is probably the most important court ruling in history. No, no. You’re not being pathetic at all!
Yeah, how dare she apologise and give thanks to Craig! You showed her.
Congratulations on presumably reading all of the reports, ‘mr lobaloba’
What have you done as a result? Have you hatched a cunning plan to get Mr Assange out? Perhaps he would be walking free this very day if only Patsy Millar had done her duty and read every inch of text.
It’s contemptible to sit and snipe at people because they didn’t read what you want them to, especially when you have no idea about either them or their circumstance.
Mr Lobaloba, please have some respect and tolerance. You have no knowledge of Patsy Millers mindset and abilities to deal with the details of this case. The fact that Patsy is able to tweet at least something is a credit and is more than most folk do.
Back off already.
You have nothing to apologise for. Watching this tragic injustice unfold is indeed deeply depressing, especially compounding with the wider authoritarian power grab which is evolving before our eyes.
Whether or not you read every detail, at least you care enough to both broadly stay informed and to spread the word. Don’t let others on here discourage you.
“Others”? I count only one! My post originally included the words: “(Just in case; THIS IS IRONY.)”, but I deleted them as patronising and unnecessary. Was my worry justified after all? Should I have left those words in? It’s difficult to judge such things on the Internet, where tone often gets filtered out. Just to be utterly, tediously clear: I was chiding mr.lobaloba for his gratuitously unpleasant post.
I’m reminded of this, from Day 19:
“Sickler very definitely gave the impression he was at times agreeing with the prosecutor just because that was the easier line of action. He often did so in a voice that suggested scepticism, sarcasm or mockery, but that was not plain in his words and will not be apparent in the transcript.”
Sorry if there was any confusion. I was referring to mr lobaloba when I said “Don’t let others on here discourage you.”. My other post took aim at him and I assumed this would be seen in context of that one
Don’t worry, your post was very clear in its intent and didn’t need to be marked as irony.
Geoff S
I don’t find Co’s reports depressing.
They clearly demonstrate the complete insecurity of the British deep state. Assange only got as far as the events of 2001 & 2003, and the state is in meltdown because there are 17 more years of illegal wars nor exposed yet.
Bumface Bojo can keep saying rah rah government from Downing Street but the MSM and HMG are literally melting with panic at their failure to contain their political bowels.
Am I alone in finding the squirming of this court hilarious? No reporting, no hearing of evidence, no witnesses in court. So has succeeded in giving them a bad case of Delhi belly.
And we all know what happened to Delhi in 1948. The rah rah raj got kicked out.
Usukis has dysentery. Why wouldn’t I be laughing at the farce?
CM’s
Knowing the circumstances of the trial no-one with any sense of personal integrity should ever consider for one moment providing expert witness on behalf of the prosecution. But here we see from the article corruption at work of the same order as when the German case against the CIA operatives was dropped for fear of damaging relationships with “our American friends”. The corruption knows no bounds.
This is also v interesting
https://mobile.twitter.com/kennardmatt/status/1310151638645170176?s=20
Seriously? Dr. Blackwood and Professor Fear? Who is writing this stuff? When is the Marvel Comics movie crossover “Fear and Blackwood” due out of Hollywood?
“One of the two co-directors of the KCHMR, which collaborates with Dr Blackwood’s Forensic Research Group, is Nicola Fear, a professor of epidemiology and a former MOD staffer who is on the study team working on the MOD “wellbeing” project.”
Schrödinger’s Conflict of Interest, No doubt the “legal truth” of the matter was carefully assessed before he claimed he had no conflict to declare but in the court of common sense it is like Clinton’s “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” and equally unbelievable when set against the facts:
“US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta visited King’s College War Studies Department in 2013, saying: ‘I deeply appreciate the work that you do to train and to educate our future national security leaders, many of whom are in this audience.’
Panetta, who also served as director of the CIA from 2009 to 2011, recently said in an interview that the purpose of prosecuting Assange was to stop other journalists revealing information about the US government…”
Attempts to establish this obvious conflict of interest will hit the same wall as attempts to probe the activities of the FCO funded “Integrity Initiative”, the Cabinet Office “Rapid Response Unit”, or the G7’s “Rapid Response Mechanism”, all of which are supposed to make you sleep safer at night knowing that the evil of Fake News is being properly vanquished.
Looks like they love people of Italian ancestry in CIA 🙂 Panetta is italian word for ‘baker’.
Let’s not forget the sterling work being carried out by the 77th Brigade:
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-09-30-uk-information-operations-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/
Signs of the Times – Why John Brennan, Peter Strzok and DOJ needed Julian Assange arrested – and why UK officials obliged (18 Aug 2020)
The entries on Dr Blackwood’s Twitter can be described as esoteric.
https://mobile.twitter.com/njblackwood
I found all of it absurd, tasteless and meaningless. The fact that him sharing nothing about psychology raises a red flag. But maybe it’s not his account?
he’s got a separate twitter account for psychology, it’s linked to from his twitter bio
How about an apology to your outrageous comment to Patsy Millar at 12:54?
I see from just the first several pictures on his twitter the ‘Illuminati’ 1 eye symbolism thing going on quite blatantly. That in itself shows who he serves.
From the article Craig linked:
– US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta visited King’s College War Studies Department in 2013, saying: “I deeply appreciate the work that you do to train and to educate our future national security leaders, many of whom are in this audience.”
– Panetta, who also served as director of the CIA from 2009 to 2011, recently said in an interview that the purpose of prosecuting Assange was to stop other journalists revealing information about the US government: “All you can do is hope that you can ultimately take action against those that were involved in revealing that information so you can send a message to others not to do the same thing.”
The one hour German documentary containing the interview from which Panetta was quoted:
https://www.ardmediathek.de/ard/video/Y3JpZDovL2Rhc2Vyc3RlLmRlL3JlcG9ydGFnZSBfIGRva3VtZW50YXRpb24gaW0gZXJzdGVuL2Y1YTcxYmY5LWY5ZTEtNDhiNS1hODRhLWFlYTk4ZjI3OWFmMw/
Thanks for the link. Would that documentary have been shown on German, national TV, If there is such a thing? And what happened to the German MEP’s who were barred, at the beginning of Julian’s Hearing?
Craig, someone may already have mentioned , but John Simpson of the BBC said the he was at the trial yesterday, he talked about the bugging and assassination evidence. He also said that he thought Assange would not be extradited.
Nice if sincere but what the defence need to look at urgently is how to make sure they don’t put him on a plane seconds after the verdict and off to Uncle Sam never to be talked to again. I don’t believe for a minute that this court will do anything other than agree to extradition – we are talking about born again neocons here. How to get it into the Supreme Court before Julian is kidnapped – that is the question.
Can they really go for the kidnapping scenario now? I mean they’re already in deep shit. They’d have a lot more trouble?
I hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it does, I would put money on the fact that he wouldn’t be flown to the USA on a commercial flight. He would be rendered via one of the (many) US airbases in the UK.
Avoid setting your watch to one of his predictions.
@Geoffrey-at 14:13 2nd October 2020-I hope someone can confirm whether John Simpson of the BBC was at the trial and provide details of where he expressed his opinions.
I find it hard to believe (but accept I can be convinced) that he will be supportive of Mr Assange and critical of the BBC and U.K. Government.
For years, I’ve found it hard to stomach his smug, stilted, reactionary, pro-government narrative of political events. And if he has been condemnatory, why has it taken him till now to say anything?
Here you go Ingwe https://twitter.com/johnsimpsonnews/status/1311392185632382982?s=21
I think the pompous old sod only went because he hates being busted by Media Lens
Thank you Craig for your stoic reporting of court events, and for the numerous videos in which you eloquently defend Julian. With his extradition hearing coming to an end we nervously await the verdict (predetermined or otherwise) in January 2021.
Craig, are you able to advise whether Julian would be released from prison in the unlikely case that US extradition is not granted. We expect that the US would appeal, however, having had a “no extradition” decision, would that then entitle Julian to his freedom while the appeal runs its course? I dearly hope that that is the case.
I think it is not unrelated that the other academic alongside Dr. Blackwood is Professor Simon Wessily. He has for many years been actively working against those of us who suffer from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (a condition similar to Gulf War Syndrome, and also caused by vaccines). I find it no surprise that he would be connected with the UK and US military.
There seems to be no end to the corruption endemic in the UK security/military services
Not just the UK but all security and intelligence services world wide. Or rather the concept that all functions of government. All governance, Prime Ministers and Presidents. the execitive, the legislative and the judicial arms of government are all subordinate to and must acquiesce to their notion of “National Security.” It seems that the apparatus of state security and intelligence has become a new superior arm of government free from any meaningful scrutiny to do as it pleases.
I actually think that a stronger reason to question the validity of the evidence from IOP is that their expertise is in PTSD, not in long term solitary confinement. The stresses their patients will have endured will have been to do with loss of colleagues, loss of limbs, abandonment back home etc etc, nothing to do with being persecuted by national and foreign governments for telling the truth. None of the patients they will have studied will have been in solitary confinement for years (the best witnesses there might be those who had monitored prisoners at Guantanomo Bay).
So I would be asking a Professor like that: ‘please explain to this court why your expertise of PTSD has any relevance to the long-term confinement of a previously totally healthy individual due to the US and UK Governments considering the Geneva Convention, which defines torture, to be an unnecessary encumbrance to their totalitarian goals and objectives.’
There may be good answers to that question, but given the way old Lewis was denigrating the defence witnesses, there is more than justification for taking a pop at a few Prosecution ones.
Rhys,
Good on.
Well posed.
Courtenay
Here’s a question. Suppose Assange is extradited to America. They will have to give him a trial. Won’t his attorney get him off, the same as the authors of the “Pentagon Papers” so that the whole thing will have been a huge waste of American taxpayer money?
He won’t get off, because they have a special court for ‘security cases’ and their own favourite ‘hanging’ judge:
Tyler Durden – CIA Whistleblower: Assange Is Going To Get Railroaded By “Hanging” Judge (ZeroHedge, 24 May 2020)
It doesn’t look good for him, unless an appeal succeeds. I wonder if Baraitser knows what sort of fate she could be handing him over to.
She has been told. I doubt she listened.
She heard whatever she needed to hear to satisfy her conscience. Those prisoners have a great time! Yes indeed, they exercise, get together, hang out at the library, watch TV and the food is really great. They have an excellent medical facility that tends to every last concern. A veritable holiday camp – it’s not surprising that people are clamouring to get in there, and never want to leave.
Deterrent? What – What? It’s a positive inducement to promote free speech and protect the 1st Amendment.
I suspect that Baraitser’s intelligent enough to realise that she’s not hearing this case on her judicial merits, but because she’s a political plant. That’s how the judiciary (like every profession) progress. Tout the orthodoxy and question nothing.
Things have been tightened up since the days of Pentagon Papers.
Ahh, so HE didn’t get funding from the US and UK military but everyone who has funded him gets all their money from them. Well that’s alright then, isn’t it?
Patrick Cockburn has his say:
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/julian-assange-trial-extradition-us-trump-wikileaks-press-freedom-b747774.html
there is always mist, would you not agree? nothing ever is straight forward. Just listen to Macrons Waggonburg building.
So, hence and going forward – he remains – MIST!
Mist is simply the first two letters of my first name and the first two letters of my surname. The 001 is so I can keep track, there’s 002, 003, and so on too.
There’s no Mythtery!
Mist – got you 007 ( chuckle).
Its as if the combined gawping media is embarrassed to the bone by Craig’s great effort to factually, point by point record this most important case, and without the innuendo and crass assumptions, the MSM prefers.
I have copied every day of these proceedings to one of Archant’s blogs. yesterday I emailed the editor, head of news and a journalist about the resource on their own ‘Pink Un’ blog and how this might help young journalists starting of in this now dangerous profession were they could be extradited under the US Espionage act from the last Millennium.
I added a voice message to him to remind him that I did so, but I don’t expect this Conservative leaning tower of disregard to sway the other way.
I would not be bored if Craig takes a week out to recuperate and recharge his batteries for the next, not so public either, telephone battle at home. Take very good care, you are in the limelight.
Wasn’t the ‘Pink ‘un’ Sporting Life,a paper that stood much higher in the quality and reliability of its reporting than today’s FT?
once upon a time, its mainlu footie now.
I read that it will now be January next year before Assange finds out what his fate will be, I wish I could say I had high hopes that he won’t be extradited but I don’t think that will be the case alas.
Republicofscotland-yes and Mr Assange will stay in prison in the meantime with the government hoping that he may yet succumb and die in the interim. British justice.
The collaboration between Dr Blackwood’s Forensic Research Group (FRG) and the MoD funded Kings Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) is of fundamental importance for the FRG because it enables FRG researchers, such as Dr Blackwood, to access to an extensive dataset containing information on the nature and prevalence of mental disorders and offending behaviour within current and former members of the military. Access to this dataset affords invaluable research opportunities for Dr Blackwood and his colleagues to investigate the links between psychological trauma, mental disorder and offending.
Expert witnesses are required to provide a dispassionate opinion to the court on matters that fall within their professional expertise. Conflict of interest arises where the testimony of an expert witness may be influenced, or may be perceived to be influenced, in favour of one of the parties to a legal proceeding by any type of personal or financial relationship. Loss of access to the KCMHR dataset would seriously compromise the work of the FRG and Dr Blackwood could not help but be mindful of that. Similarly, an opportunity to foster good relations with the MoD, a principal source of funding for the KCMHR, could help secure further funding for the work of the KCMHR and secure continuing access to its dataset. Dr Blackwood could not help also being mindful of this.
As a former mental health academic with considerable experience in forensic mental health, there is no doubt in my mind that Dr Blackwood did have a conflict of interest arising out of the research collaboration between his department and the KCMHR, that he was fully aware of this conflict, and that he should have declared it to the court.
“the links between psychological trauma, mental disorder and offending. “
The link between poverty and offending is very much more apparent.
The link between the color of your collar and offending is very much more apparent.
I propose there’s much more mental disorder-induced crime on Wall Street and the London Stock Exchange than there is in the average population.
Morning Star – ‘Assange feared he was becoming “a hallucinating puddle on the floor” while held in solitary confinement, a psychiatrist told his extradition hearing yesterday.
Dr Nigel Blackwood also said that Mr Assange’s likely conditions of incarceration in the US “would impact on his mood state.”
He told the Old Bailey in London that he believed Mr Assange had a “recurrent depressive disorder” and said: “I think there is some risk of suicide but that risk has to be carefully managed at Belmarsh prison.’
/..
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/assange-reveals-fears-of-mental-health-damage
Undated and unattributed.
In another Hard Hitting interview with Afshin Rattansi – John Pilger –
Ju know, the inanity, and the cynicism in that statement, repetitive, Every day has been a description, usually of Hell, of the king of Hell that Wikileaks exposed, the kind of Hell of which all of us had a right to know.. ah, which is now being imposed on the Truth Teller himself. And For That BBC journalist to describe it as repetitive, dosent quite leave me speechless, but it lraves me with a sense that..it’s over with much of the media, to watch this day after day, This extraordinary, important trial telling us so much about how those that govern us, those who want to control our lives, and what they, and what they do to other countries, how they lied to us, watch this day after day, see none of it reported..or if you do see it reported, you’ll see something like eh.. Assange told to pipe down by the judge.. on the day, he ( Julian ) only did this Two, or Three times, I don’t know how he kept his mouth shut, where he stood up ans protested, at evidence that was clearly false and offensive to him, that was the headline, that was the story of the day .. ”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_w8hWXoD6k&fbclid=IwAR0xDR4uOgIC5GL9CgQgcZ-erEo8TpcL85-2rhxC70N9OSlDIk3rmsu8D_0
Afshin & John did a great job exposing the dystopia. Afshin does a great job. Met him on the last free rally in Parliament square.
Aye Afshin did Great Twostime…Well done bumping into him.
Keep up the vital protest
Now that the great orange one has been infected with Covid 19, perhaps he should be put into the prison earmarked for Mr Assange, for health reasons, as his experts have assured the court how safe it is and what good care he’ll receive.
Excellent to interview live now of John Pilger on RT’s ‘Going Underground’. Putting the BBC to absolute shame.
Sorry, Brianfujisan beat me to it. I didn’t spot his post before posting.
It’s a shame that we have seek out truth from outwith MSM ..Like Craig, Wikileakes,, The Greyzone.. Global research..Medialens MoA.. Caity Johnson, Ect….
Keep up the research
At the risk of being abused by the “mods” again – this from Kevin Gosztola at ShadowProof was a great stream recapping alternative media on Julian Assange’s extradition hearing. – https://youtu.be/imwuqDrXDPE – forgive me. NB there were the usual inexplicable technical difficulties in the first hour. Worth the wait though.
I watched that two-part discussion live earlier today. I found the first hour largely unbearable, too much incoherent waffling. Things improved when different speakers came on for the second hour. I’ve seen far better discussions about Julian’s case.