Numerous people have contacted me in various ways to ask where is my promised report on the final day of the Assange hearing, to complete the account?
It is difficult to explain this to you. When I was in London it was extremely intense. This was my daily routine. I would attend court at 10am, take 25 to 30 pages of handwritten notes, and leave around 5. In court I was always with Julian’s dad John, and usually for lunch too. After court I would thank supporters outside the courtroom, occasionally do some media and often meet with the Wikileaks crew to discuss developments and tactics. I would then get back to my hotel room, have a bite to eat and go to bed around 6.30pm to 7pm. I would awake between 11pm and midnight, shower and shave, read my notes and do any research needed. About 3am I would start to write. I would finish writing around 8.30am and proofread. Then I would get dressed. About 9.30am I would make any last changes and press publish. Then I would walk to the Old Bailey and start again.
Apart from being exhausting, I was totally immersed in a bubble, and buoyed by the support of others close to Julian, who were also inside that bubble.
But in that courtroom, you were in the presence of evil. With a civilised veneer, a pretence at process, and even displays of bonhommie, the entire destruction of a human being was in process. Julian was being destroyed as a person before my eyes. For the crime of publishing the truth. He had to sit there listening to days of calm discussion as to the incredible torture that would await him in a US supermax prison, deprived of all meaningful human contact for years on end, in solitary in a cell just fifty square feet.
Fifty square feet. Mark that out yourself now. Three paces by two. Of all the terrible things I heard, Warden Baird explaining that the single hour a day allowed out of the cell is alone in another, absolutely identical cell called the “recreation cell” was perhaps the most chilling. That and the foul government “expert” Dr Blackwood describing how Julian might be sufficiently medicated and physically deprived of the means of suicide to keep him alive for years of this.
I encountered evil in Uzbekistan when the mother brought me the photos of her son tortured to death by immersion in boiling liquid. The US government was also implicated in that, through the CIA cooperation with the Uzbek Security Services; it happened just outside the US military base at Karshi-Khanabad. Here was that same evil paraded in the centre of London, under the panoply of Crown justice.
Having left the bubble, my courage keeps failing me to return to the evil and write up the last day. I know that sounds either pathetic or precious. I know the mainstream journalists who revel in portraying me as mentally unstable will delight to mock. But this last few days I can’t even bring myself to look at my notes. I feel physically ill when I try. Of course I will complete the series, but I may need a little time.
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You are a brave and honourable man, Craig. I am very grateful for everything you have written so far.
Take good care of yourself and take things at a pace that is right for you. You have nothing to prove to anybody.
Hear, hear…take all the time you need, you are doing extremely important work. Thank you and take care.
I was checking back each day; and the lack of the last day’s report meant that I guessed something like Craig has reported may have taken place. Many others that I respect have commented on the reports, such as John Pilger.
Perhaps the whole lot my be edited [perhaps by a.n.other] into a pamphlet on the whole sorry saga. JUSTICE DENIED.
I’m pleased that enough [I hope] are also supporting Craig financially ~ so that he continues to be enabled to report on the issues that our MSM Stenographers and Churnalists fail to. 4th ESTATE ~ I think not.
Dear Craig
You take your time. January 4th is weeks away. Your notes will only mature, the intensity of your daily reporting is there for all to read and reflect on. I too return to read what you have to say, impatient that your observations haven’t graced my screen. But I can and will wait.
As you say the very palpable eviceration of a man’s life leaves us all winded, gasping at the enormity that our government’s process could inflict on a guest to our shores.
I’d suggest that those who can’t wait go back and watch Collateral Murder again.
Look after yourself, Craig, you’re in credit on life’s ledger and we want you to turn another page.
All the best
Jeremy
Gracias por ser nuestros ojos y nuestros corazón. La Libertad de Julian es nuestra última esperanza de una vida digna con verdad ,libertad y justicia. En ese banquillo no sólo está Julian Assange, un hombre, bueno,noble, ético, que ha dado su vida para abrirnos los ojos a la más cruel realidad., allí mismo estamos todos nosotros, seres humanos del mundo que sentimos y creemos en el bien común.
—
Thank you for being our eyes and our hearts. Julian’s release is our last hope for a dignified life with truth, freedom and justice. On that bench is not only Julian Assange, a good, noble, ethical man, who has given his life to open our eyes to the most cruel reality; we are all there, human beings of the world who feel and believe in him. Shared benefit.
How you stuck it out as long as you did, Craig, is beyond my understanding. Reading the daily account from a distance was unbearably painful. You have our heartfelt admiration, gratitude and support. May you recover your strength and spirit speedily.
Craig – my heart goes out to you. That must have been so difficult and I, and many others, so appreciate you going through that to bring the evil going on in that courtroom to the light when no-one else would or could. I was so sick I could barely read it every day so I can only imagine how devastating it was to witness and then have to write about. Thank you. You did a great and brave thing.
You have said something I think about often Craig, ” But in that courtroom, you were in the presence of evil.”
The Gleeful deliberate torture of a man they KNOW is innocent.. Well Julian is a Hero to me and Many others.
Most of us are happy to wait for the last instalment.. You rest up, Recharge the batteries.. and Stay Safe
That sums up quite a lot of recent high profile trials in Scotland. Alex Salmond twice and the Rev S Campbell twice. Both monstered in the courts and by the media. Both found to be innocent and yet still having to pay the price. With Mein Host and Mark Hirst facing the same fate.
In one case the government and a gaggle of evil women conspired to Pervert the Course of Justice and committed Perjury but have not been punished, bar handing over £500,000 of OUR money, not theirs. Given lifetime immunity from prosecution for their efforts. and cushy jobs for them and their spouses too.
In the other case, 4 ( F O U R ) of Scotland’s top (Ha!) judges agreed that the disgusting K Dugdale had publicly and wantonly defamed the Rev Campbell, with full malice of forethought, yet landed him with the entire legal bill. She’s guilty, he’s the victim, but we’re punishing him and not her ????!!!!
That case almost stinks worse than the Salmond one. High profile Yoon politician, acolyte of lord george foulkes, celebrity Kangaroo bollocks eater, and former internet scumbag Fifi La Bon Bon, being actively protected by the entire Scottish Establishment to bring down our Highest profile and most effective Yes campaigner.
The same KD is now trousering a 6 figure salary from the John Smith institute. That fine think tank being run by Sarah Smith’s mother, sister,Baroness R Davidson, and Andrew Wilson of the insane Growth Commission.
It stinks.
Just keep that final day open. No closure.
Reflect on the evil Gordon Kromberg, officially ruled to be a fraud by Leonie Brinkema.
I can’t say your articles make easy reading. Witnessing it first hand and then going over it repeatedly to write it all up will be much worse.
Look after yourself, young man.
Peace to you Craig ?. You’ve already gone far and away above and beyond the call of duty.
The torture you saw as ambassador was enough to awaken you to what the country really was and destroy the veneer of respectability, but now you are going through it again and the corruption brushed under the carpet because it was in a foreign country by foreign operative is now here on our own shores.
That would be a perfectly sound and reasonable response to such a horrid experience Craig. To see such hubris and depravity disguising itself as “due process” would sicken the strongest soul. To do it day after day shows remarkable resolve. I know you will return to your notes and complete that destiny. Just take your time. Stay strong. You have nothing to prove on that front.
Dear Craig,
I have been following your blog for many years with increasing admiration for your courage, dedication and insight, but have never commented until now. Your reports on the extradition hearing made appalling reading. As commented by Nickle101 here, you are a brave and honourable man, and have nothing to prove to anybody. Thank you for what you do.
No one should take your journey down south, away from your family, to report on evil for granted. News as entertainment its not. The truth is out and keeps seeping out. In the end the whole truth will out, usually by someone within the low depths of the security state. You have done more than anyone to warn the sheeple, yet they care not. I am glad you are out of that horrible place. Just look after yourself Craig and be with your family. The young guns like Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate’ are taking up the battle.
I understand you very well, dear Mr Murray.
Your work is precious to many supporters of Julian’s. But you are precious too and it is important that you take care of you. You earn a good rest after these intense and difficult weeks. Support from Brussels.
Craig,
I am just thankful to you that I was able to read coverage from the court.
The routine you described sounds draining!
I hope you take all the time you need and thank you again for your efforts.
All the best 🙂
Dear Craig, the sheer effort and sacrifice you have made over the last many weeks has clearly taken a huge toll on your physical and mental-health. It sounds like you have pushed yourself to the absolute limit, my friend, but I trust that you recognise that you have not been irresponsible in doing so; given such an immense travesty of injustice and the deliberately obscured access to the proceedings, it was absolutely vital that someone do this. You can be proud in the fact that that someone was you. Just as Julian can be proud that the someone who set up Wikileaks and attempted to uncover government atrocities on such a vast scale was him, regardless of what ultimately happens.
Stay strong Craig. Regardless if people like you or not, you are doing are doing a very brave and courageous job
Take your time, Craig. You’ve earned and we are grateful.
Dear Craig, take your time. You certainly do not need any justification whatsoever. Thanks for your commitment which is restoring the dignity of mankind.
Dear Craig Murray
I have symptoms similar to those you describe that result in your inability to cope with the awful Assange trial.
During the Assange trial you were under intense stress for days on end. You describe of being in a bubble that was likely fueled by the fight or flight response. Then you were assaulted by being aggressively woken up during the night and further you were present during aggressive police attacks on elderly people later in the day.
Psychological tests could reveal that you are suffering from clinical shock.
From personal experience shock does not respond to medication such a SSRI’s. (If it is of any help) There will be people around you who have been altered by shock.
Unfortunately the problem remains. Your excellent and unique work recording the Assange trial travesty needs to be finished, collated and preserved.
Can someone help you finish the job?
Please help Craig.
Craig Murray is extremely courageous, having once himself exposed evil torture as underhand government policy and having suffered for it dearly, he is exposing this evil posing as justice. This time round the implications are far more than a loss of a career or even freedom, but the whole freedom of journalistic freedom to hold powers to check and even freedom of speech. This together with the impending court case against him are a huge burden. This is an important moment in history and Craig Murray is playing an important part in exposing it.
Dear Craig Murray,
Today, I am in Jamaica and I just had a wonderful day with my daughter. I and due to return to the Turks and Caicos Islands to work come next Tuesday presuming that the corvid-19 test which I took today comes back negative.
All to say that you did a great job reporting the Assange case and to the limited extent that I actually did – I really, despite non-ending efforts such as yours, have tried to give support:-
My retired Professor friend in the US has tired to give me a boost – but he really and truly is interested in the welfare and future of what Julian Assange stands for – so here:-
“Here is another cogent article by Courtenay Barnett, a well thought out and stated overview and assessment of the Julian Assange case, one of the most crucial cases of our time, in which at issue is whether the UK and the US are already functioning fascist states joined at the hip or still have some hope as independent democracies.
A SPEECH FOR JULIAN ASSANGE”
https://blog.effectivelearning.net/a-speech-for-julian-assange/
Keep pressing on.
CB
Yes there are typos and here is one:-
” I and due to ”
NO – I am due.
I is not anything to apologise for. I rather expected you to retreat and recoup somewhat after what was clearly a herculean task. It’s amazing you could keep reporting during your time in London.
I will wait until you have the physical, emotional and mental energy to finish your report.
Sometimes it’s too much to bear if you have experienced the feeling of evil in Nazi concentration camps and been thankful that that has all passed into history, then to realise in the Old Bailey that USUKIS have become the Fascist regime they worked so hard to conquer.
Who will conquer the evil of US exceptionalism? How can we escape from being sucked into its vortex by arsewipes like Boris Johnson?. Germany took Turkey as an ally and now NATO has done the same. But if we are inside the vortex of evil, where do we seek asylum from our politicians insanity?
The answer seems to be that tyranny hates exposure and therefore your courageous reporting if this tyranny has annoyed them much more than you’d think.
It’s a high risk strategy for them to extradite when your reporting has exposed their wanton abuse of judicial power.
If its not hurting, its not working.
You have made it impossible for them to extradite now, for fear of national and international outcry.
Spook’s hate exposure. Keep calm and know, and always know , that the angels that accompanied you in court are busy beating up your opponents right now.
Fully understand your unenviable state of mind. You have been incredible in your staunch and unwavering support. This case contaminates the whole fabric of our ideology. Had gifts for you and Julian’s father intended for the last Friday which never materialised. . At present I am covering the conflict in southern Caucasus which makes me feel almost equally sick.
I think this is perhaps the most corrupt legal hearing in the UK since the trial of Sir Thomas More.
Dear Craig, the sheer effort and sacrifice you have made over the last many weeks has clearly taken a huge toll on your physical and mental-health. It sounds like you have pushed yourself to the absolute limit, my friend, but I trust that you recognise that you have not been irresponsible in doing so; given such an immense travesty of injustice and the deliberately obscured access to the proceedings, it was absolutely vital that someone do this. You can be proud in the fact that that someone was you. Just as Julian can be proud that the someone who set up Wikileaks and attempted to uncover government atrocities on such a vast scale was him, regardless of what ultimately happens.
Craig, we have appreciated you bearing witness for all of us who are locked down by a pandemic and pinned in place by the perfidy of the hegemonic psychopaths who run things. There are days when just getting up in the morning is a triumph. There are moments when the deaf ears turned to our entreaties to speak out for, stand up for, do something to end this travesty against Julian Assange, sicken us beyond belief. Take whatever time you need. We are all broken — and we are all Julian. It can seem hopeless; it probably is. But just to be there, to say “No” to the corrupt assumptions, is the role left to us in the empty theatre and in the raging amphitheatre. Coraggio, and thank you.
Thank you.
Evil in its pragmatic essence is the negation of the value of life. Normal people when we see it are traumatised because we cannot help but identify at a primal level. Those responsible for it become brutalised. Those exposed to it find it sickening and usually try to deflect it by rationalisation. Yet we know.
Even if Assange was guilty as sin, his current treatment would be evil. That it is, even without an honest trial, tells us that something is broken and rotten in our legal system. During WWII, Japanese soldiers in China behaved with unparalleled sadism because they felt that the Chinese were subhuman, so unimportant it didn’t matter. American Indian tribes used to torture their adversaries claiming that they were not people. We dehumanise those we wish to torture.
Justice requires first that we recognise the humanity of even the worst offenders. Anything which denies that humanity is depraved, no matter how elegantly justified. The silence of our society’s moral custodians is no less depraved because it maintains the machine of routine cruelty, whether in a London courtroom or bombing Yemenis for ‘peace’. Left to its own devices, that evil inevitably pervades the entire society.
Courage, Craig. So many of us around the world would love to read your words. But you’re not alone, and the burden of witness isn’t only yours to bear. Your daily reports, so full of mingled passion, fury and unshakable, kind humanity have helped bring Julian’s struggle to life for the entire world already, as your work has for so much longer than this trial.
Write if you can. Write if you must. Don’t write if you can’t. Just don’t do any of it alone. If you can’t face the forbidding pages of your notes alone, then interview Julian’s Dad, or ask Kevin Gosztola Stefania Maurizi, Richard Medhurst or any of the other great journalists who with you have created a record of the truth to interview you and just share the transcript, so your thoughts and words come forward in the sunlight of companionship, away from the stench on the pages in front of you. Or just write about other things until your heart is ready. You have no cause for guilt or shame. There’s plenty of time. You’ve already borne extraordinary witness of this evil, for which I and so many others are deeply grateful.
I second every beautiful, supportive, encouraging word you have written here. Thank You John and Craig
Go Well
As I read your humble account describing an aversion to revisit your notes of the final day of Julian’s extradition trial, it immediately occurs to me that you have the prospect of personally facing a ghastly tyranny upon your own legal defense, which looms. There is truth and honour in providing for your humanity Craig. Many are incapable of the empathy you are true to. I want to suggest with pure respect, to allow yourself a break here.
Words can’t express the depth of cruelty being inflicted on Julian Assange for his fine courage and deeds. Your service to us all for making the rather large sacrifices to cover this trial would be hard to justly reward you for. The repugnant depths you are required to trace against such difficulties are not lost on me. You are channeling your chivalrous warrior magnificently and I am moved to point to this publicly.
God bless you Mr murray