4 ms·

Are we sure that Assange is better off in the UK? Reports from other sources suggest he is being kept in terrible conditions in UK as well. https://www.telesur

by lmg643 6y ago

Are we sure that Assange is better off in the UK? Reports from other sources suggest he is being kept in terrible conditions in UK as well. https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/julian-assange-is-kept-under-inhumane-conditions-lawyer-say-20200918-0005.html https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/julian-assange-is-kept-u... >> "Each day Julian is woken at 5 am, handcuffed, put in holding cells, stripped naked, and x-rayed. He is transported 1.5 hours each way in what feels like a vertical coffin in a claustrophobic van,” Morris said. >> The lawyer pointed out that during the criminal hearings Assange is kept in a glass box at the back of court from where he cannot his lawyers properly.

agd 6y ago
Certainly better in the UK than the US. He gets to see family and has contact with support including calls with e.g. the Samaritans.
- deleted 6y ago
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Chris2048 6y ago
> Each day Julian is ... x-rayed Wait, what? This can't be true - daily x-rays would guarantee cell/DNA damage.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- randylahey 6y ago
  Could just be sloppy, inaccurate writing. But yeah that would be pretty bad.
  - tyingq 6y ago
    It's a direct quote from his fiancé, who is also a lawyer and part of his defense team: https://twitter.com/StellaMoris1/status/1306205472521891840?s=20 https://twitter.com/StellaMoris1/status/1306205472521891840?... I can't vouch for the analysis here, but this is interesting. It's an FOIA request that seems to show the equipment being used. https://wiseupaction.info/2020/10/15/julian-assange-was-x-rayed-in-and-out-of-hmp-belmarsh-during-september/ https://wiseupaction.info/2020/10/15/julian-assange-was-x-ra...
    - hunter2_ 6y ago
      That second link says "each full body scan of an individual would generate 6 Micro Sieverts (µSv)" so 2 scans per day would be 12 µSv, and a dose chart [0] shows the average daily background dose to be 10 µSv while a flight from NY to LA is 40 µSv. So it's a bit like taking that flight every 3.3 days. So maybe it's no worse than being a pilot / flight attendant? [0] https://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/how-much-radiation-is-too-much-a-handy-guide/8124/ https://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/how-muc...
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
      - Enginerrrd 6y ago
        Pilots get a lot of radiation exposure though! It's not to be casually dismissed.
        saagarjha 6y ago
        Do they ever get pulled off of flights to reduce their cumulative radiation exposure?
      - CryptoPunk 6y ago
        12 µSv in two 500 ms bursts is very different 12 µSv spread out over 1 hour of flight time. The difference in intensity is 3,600 fold. It's the difference between being subjected to 1 hour of 30 degree celcius heat and 1 second of 108,000 degree celcius heat.
        hunter2_ 6y ago
        To bolster your argument: only the Kelvin scale is eligible for multiplication operations, so 30C * 3600 = 1,091,067C when converting to K and back. On the other hand: I expect 500 ms of such extreme heat would instantly kill a human, although I'm having a hard time finding an answer for such a short time scale. Since X-ray imaging doesn't instantly kill, it's apples and oranges, but point taken.
- HideousKojima 6y ago
  I think they meant put through a metal detector? Assange was put on suicide watch (whether justifiedly or not I do not know) so presumably they're checking for weapons he could harm himself with, still seems like overkill though.
- handelaar 6y ago
  This is not a description of how he's being treated as a prisoner, but rather specifically as a prisoner who is being transported between a prison and a courthouse during a trial or hearing. So... somewhat disingenuous.
pantalaimon 6y ago
on what charges is he being held in the UK?
- jamie_ca 6y ago
  Arrested in 2019 when his Ecuadorian asylum was revoked, charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, maximum 5y sentence. Was changed a month later to be the Espionage Act charges. Those all stem from the US though, I think he's only detained by the UK for extradition? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictment_and_arrest_of_Julian_Assange#Arrest_by_the_Metropolitan_Police https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictment_and_arrest_of_Julia...
  - pmyteh 6y ago
    Yes. We prosecuted him for jumping bail by going to the embassy, but he's served his sentence for that. He's only being held for possible extradition.
  - handelaar 6y ago
    And for breaking the terms of his bail conditions by legging it to the Ecuadorian embassy in the first place.
- occamrazor 6y ago
  For skipping bail

by lmg643 6y ago

agd 6y ago

Certainly better in the UK than the US. He gets to see family and has contact with support including calls with e.g. the Samaritans.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

Chris2048 6y ago

> Each day Julian is ... x-rayed Wait, what? This can't be true - daily x-rays would guarantee cell/DNA damage.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
randylahey 6y ago
Could just be sloppy, inaccurate writing. But yeah that would be pretty bad.
- tyingq 6y ago
  It's a direct quote from his fiancé, who is also a lawyer and part of his defense team: https://twitter.com/StellaMoris1/status/1306205472521891840?s=20 https://twitter.com/StellaMoris1/status/1306205472521891840?... I can't vouch for the analysis here, but this is interesting. It's an FOIA request that seems to show the equipment being used. https://wiseupaction.info/2020/10/15/julian-assange-was-x-rayed-in-and-out-of-hmp-belmarsh-during-september/ https://wiseupaction.info/2020/10/15/julian-assange-was-x-ra...
  - hunter2_ 6y ago
    That second link says "each full body scan of an individual would generate 6 Micro Sieverts (µSv)" so 2 scans per day would be 12 µSv, and a dose chart [0] shows the average daily background dose to be 10 µSv while a flight from NY to LA is 40 µSv. So it's a bit like taking that flight every 3.3 days. So maybe it's no worse than being a pilot / flight attendant? [0] https://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/how-much-radiation-is-too-much-a-handy-guide/8124/ https://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/how-muc...
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - Enginerrrd 6y ago
      Pilots get a lot of radiation exposure though! It's not to be casually dismissed.
      - saagarjha 6y ago
        Do they ever get pulled off of flights to reduce their cumulative radiation exposure?
    - CryptoPunk 6y ago
      12 µSv in two 500 ms bursts is very different 12 µSv spread out over 1 hour of flight time. The difference in intensity is 3,600 fold. It's the difference between being subjected to 1 hour of 30 degree celcius heat and 1 second of 108,000 degree celcius heat.
      - hunter2_ 6y ago
        To bolster your argument: only the Kelvin scale is eligible for multiplication operations, so 30C * 3600 = 1,091,067C when converting to K and back. On the other hand: I expect 500 ms of such extreme heat would instantly kill a human, although I'm having a hard time finding an answer for such a short time scale. Since X-ray imaging doesn't instantly kill, it's apples and oranges, but point taken.
HideousKojima 6y ago
I think they meant put through a metal detector? Assange was put on suicide watch (whether justifiedly or not I do not know) so presumably they're checking for weapons he could harm himself with, still seems like overkill though.
handelaar 6y ago
This is not a description of how he's being treated as a prisoner, but rather specifically as a prisoner who is being transported between a prison and a courthouse during a trial or hearing. So... somewhat disingenuous.

pantalaimon 6y ago

on what charges is he being held in the UK?

jamie_ca 6y ago
Arrested in 2019 when his Ecuadorian asylum was revoked, charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, maximum 5y sentence. Was changed a month later to be the Espionage Act charges. Those all stem from the US though, I think he's only detained by the UK for extradition? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictment_and_arrest_of_Julian_Assange#Arrest_by_the_Metropolitan_Police https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indictment_and_arrest_of_Julia...
- pmyteh 6y ago
  Yes. We prosecuted him for jumping bail by going to the embassy, but he's served his sentence for that. He's only being held for possible extradition.
- handelaar 6y ago
  And for breaking the terms of his bail conditions by legging it to the Ecuadorian embassy in the first place.
occamrazor 6y ago
For skipping bail