Rebecca Vincent
@rebecca_vincent
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Human rights campaigner, former Director of Campaigns @RSF_inter, next adventure coming soon. Once a diplomat, now I work to hold power to account.
London
Joined June 2010
We now live in a world where journalists can be murdered and dismembered inside diplomatic missions, have their offices deliberately targeted by air strikes, and be plucked from the sky to face the death penalty - all by states. It’s well past time for political consequences.
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Eleven days after my six-year-old tested positive for the Delta variant, Test and Trace have called to ask me if he had been to India. Ummm, no. He’s just been to the local infant school. Thanks for the lolz though.
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Full solidarity with the wonderful @RanaAyyub. In constant awe of her courage and tenacity.
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I see @RanaAyyub's trolls are out in full force, as usual. We see you. We know what you're trying to do, and why. And she's got our full support.
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Unacceptable. @RanaAyyub remains one of the most viciously targeted journalists I know anywhere (just tweeting this means I’ll be reporting abuse for a week). The Indian authorities must do more to hold those responsible to account & ensure Rana’s safety.
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Julian Assange was my age - 39 - when first deprived of his liberty. Today he turns 51, still deprived of his liberty as powerful states gamble with his life for exposing war crimes and human rights violations. On his birthday and every day, we’re still fighting to #FreeAssange.
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As I just said in a surprisingly combative interview with BBC World TV, the case of Julian Assange has to be seen for what it is. It’s a political case and he has been targeted for publishing information in the public interest, which should not be a crime in the US or anywhere.
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Full solidarity with the wonderful @RanaAyyub as she faces rapidly escalating pressure in India, including possible arrest. It is exceedingly clear that she is being targeted for her courageous public interest reporting. Her voice must not be silenced. We must not be silent.
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I lose followers every time I tweet about Julian Assange’s case. Hint: if you find yourself agreeing with every other case I raise, but not this one, I’m not the one being inconsistent. It’s the future of journalism and press freedom that are at stake.
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In full solidarity with @carolecadwalla as she goes to court tomorrow to defend herself in a SLAPP case brought by Arron Banks. Carole’s fearless public interest reporting must be supported. Read this letter signed by leading press freedom campaigners.
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I’ve deleted many draft tweets today as nothing sufficiently captures the feeling of unease over this systematic alienation and silencing of all but one viewpoint. Perhaps shared by others with experience living/working in authoritarian regimes. All this in just 4 days. 13 to go.
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Every now and again it makes me disproportionately happy to remember that @Snowden, with his five million followers, only follows one account: the NSA.
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Full solidarity with @carolecadwalla as she’s back in court today defending her public interest reporting. @RSF_en calls again for Arron Banks to drop this vexatious SLAPP case against Carole - a call supported by 7 other NGOs. 👉
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Good morning from the Old Bailey! Today’s the big day, as we await the extradition decision in the case against @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange. I’ll have updates on this thread. #FreeAssange 1/.
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Very strong words from Carole to the judge: “I think this line of questioning is deliberate to shame and humiliate me. Part of that effort to shame and humiliate me is to do with me being a woman”.
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This is part of what makes the case a SLAPP. Individual journalists should not be targeted in this way - and those who are often are unable to fight back in the way that Carole is determined to do. This is incredibly courageous - everything is on the line, including her own home.
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Happy birthday to the wonderful @RanaAyyub - one of the most courageous and tenacious people I’ve ever met, anywhere. I’m proud to be able to support her fearless journalism, and to call her my friend.
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While we wait, a few thoughts on what we’re witnessing. This entire case is an attempt to discredit and isolate Carole as an individual, when - as she told the court - journalism is a team sport, and responsibilities are shared (between journalists/editors/subeditors/publishers).
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Today at 10:30 am the UK High Court will begin to consider the US government’s appeal against the court decision opposing @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange’s extradition to the US. I’ll be in court monitoring for @RSF_inter and will have updates on this thread. #FreeAssange
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I feel exactly the same. In constant awe of your courage and tenacity @RanaAyyub, and proud to be your friend.
Rana Ayyub is one of the bravest people I know and it's an honor to breath the same air she breathes.
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After 15 months of following the rules, my household has been quarantined this week with 2 of my children so far testing positive following a school outbreak. Informed today it’s the Indian variant. You can imagine my feelings about the policies that allowed this to proliferate.
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Today @RSF_inter was meant to be the first NGO to gain access to @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange in Belmarsh prison. This took months to secure. @cdeloire and I were confirmed to visit today at 9:15 am - but we were barred access by the Prison Governor at the last minute. 1/
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🚨Tomorrow is #DayX - the UK High Court hearing that could determine the fate of Julian Assange. I’ll be in court for @RSF_inter. Read on to see why we campaign to #FreeAssange, and the threats his extradition would pose to journalism, press freedom & all of our right to know🧵
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Outside @10DowningStreet with @StellaMoris1 and @cmihr to deliver @RSF_inter’s petition with more than 80,000 signatures calling on the UK authorities not to extradite @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange to the United States. #FreeAssange
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Love this profile of one of my favourite “impossible” women - the inimitable @RanaAyyub. “I am not an activist, I am an active journalist.”.
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This is the first day it’s ever felt remotely popular to defend Assange. Let us remember how effective divide & conquer was in this case, and demonstrate greater solidarity next time such vast powers are employed to silence public interest reporting - because next time will come.
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⚠️ BREAKING: The UK High Court has rejected Julian Assange’s appeal against the extradition order on all grounds, bringing him dangerously close to extradition. It’s now more urgent than ever to mobilise to #FreeAssange! Read @RSF_inter’s full statement.
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Many have forgotten @wikileaks worked in partnership w/@guardian @nytimes @lemondefr @el_pais & @derspiegel to publish the leaked diplomatic cables, informing extensive public interest reporting. At the 10-year mark today, will these media speak out on the need to #FreeAssange?.
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I’ll be back in court today to monitor the ongoing trial in the case of Arron Banks v @carolecadwalla. @RSF_inter and many other expert free expression organisations consider this vexatious case a clear example of SLAPP. I’ll have updates on this thread.
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As I told @TIME, of all the cases of journalists we work on around the world, @RanaAyyub is one of my top concerns. When I receive urgent calls from Rana, my immediate instinct is concern for her life. Must-read piece by @billyperrigo.
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Getting flooded with abuse since Arron Banks quote-tweeted me. Bullying tactics, which I will not dignify with another moment’s thought. Logging off this hellsite for a bit. Have a nice weekend, all.
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.@RanaAyyub was headed to London & Perugia to speak about the intimidation she’s faced as a journalist - then the Indian authorities added further to the pressure by stopping her from travelling. At @RSF_inter, #WeStandWithRana and call for these travel restrictions to be lifted.
I was stopped today at Mumbai immigration from travelling to deliver this address & onwards to @journalismfest to deliver d keynote speech on Indian democracy. I had made this announcement public over weeks, yet the ED summon very curiously arrived in my inbox after i was stopped.
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Nothing but love, support and admiration for @RanaAyyub, my friend and one of the most courageous people and dedicated journalists I’ve ever met.
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Spare a thought for Julian Assange, who will spend at least 2 more nights in Covid-ridden Belmarsh prison despite today’s extradition decision in his favour, and could remain there until after the appeal, depending on the judge’s decision on bail. He must be immediately released.
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Here’s the must-read case study on @carolecadwalla published by UNESCO, detailing the extensive online abuse and harassment she referenced: ‘The networked gaslighting of a high-impact investigative reporter’
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Today should have been a day to celebrate. I am delighted that two wonderful journalists have won the Nobel. But I’m furious about the blow to journalism the Assange extradition ruling represents. This is also the frontline of the fight for press freedom. We must stand united.
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But this fight is so important. This case has the potential to be a landmark test of the public interest defence. The ruling will have serious implications for journalism not only in the UK, but wider given the international popularity of London as a jurisdiction for such suits.
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Carole refers to four years of a legal campaign against her, harassment, and suspected illegal surveillance - which is extremely worrying and completely unacceptable.
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FINALLY - four of us will be allowed in. Losing my phone now. See you on the other side. 15/.
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Absurd is putting it mildly. This case has been such a blatant attempt to isolate and discredit an individual journalist and silence public interest reporting, and will no doubt have a chilling effect. We continue to stand with Carole, and applaud her courage in fighting back.
This case has been absurdity after absurdity, starting with Kafkaesque 'meaning' of words that had never passed my lips to now being held responsible for the continued publication of a talk that the Court of Appeal has established was lawful when I gave it. 4/.
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I am fully convinced that a future generation of journalists will wonder why some of their predecessors not only didn’t fight the attempts of powerful states to silence national security reporting, but gleefully mocked the persecution of a publisher for exposing war crimes.
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I’ve woken up to the most wonderful news possible - JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE! Thousands of hours of campaigning on the most complex case I’ve ever worked on that tested our democracies to their limits. This is a victory for journalism and press freedom, and for Julian’s loved ones.
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As I said earlier, no one would want to go through what Carole has been put through over the past few years, and what she’s going through now in court - in her words, shame and humiliation. This is very difficult to watch.
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Carole spoke about the deluge of online harassment and abuse she received in connection with this case - much of it fuelled by far right blogs and news sites - as detailed in a UNESCO report. It was the worst she had ever received, she said, and it sent her to a very dark place.
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If you *still* don’t understand the importance of Julian Assange’s case to journalism, perhaps you don’t understand journalism.
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Trying to keep track. “Free speech” in the UK now means banning online anonymity, weakening encryption, classifying journalists as spies and jailing them for doing their jobs, policing free expression at universities, and criminalising peaceful protest. Have I got this right?.
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“Putting journalism on trial in a court of law in this way when you don’t understand fundamental journalistic processes feels problematic”, Carole says to McCormick.
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Today marks 3 years that Julian Assange has been detained at London’s high-security Belmarsh prison. Three years charged with no crime in the UK, held on remand while the US government pursues his extradition for publishing public interest information. It’s time to #FreeAssange!
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At @RSF_inter, we believe @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange has been targeted for his contributions to journalism. We continue to call:. ✔️ for his immediate release. ✔️ for the charges against him to be dropped. ✔️ for him not to be extradited to the US. #WeAreAllAssange
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Hey @jack - would be great if you didn’t allow Indian police to threaten courageous women journalists for expressing perfectly legitimate views on your platform.
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I’m at the High Court this morning for @RSF_inter, along with @AzzurraMoores, as @carolecadwalla faces a vexatious defamation suit brought by Arron Banks. RSF is one of many organisations that considers this a SLAPP case, and stands in Carole support.
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A reminder that Julian Assange’s continued detention in Belmarsh prison (for 2 full years on Sunday) is outrageous, cruel & completely unnecessary following the 4th Jan court decision against extradition. Shame on the US & UK. It’s time to #FreeAssange!.
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Today marks two full years that @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange has been incarcerated at Belmarsh prison, despite a court decision against extradition three months ago. Shame on the US and UK. It’s time to #FreeAssange!.
Julian Assange has now been incarcerated for 2 full years at Belmarsh prison, where his mental and physical health remain at great risk. 730 days in a high-security UK prison as the US pursues him for publishing information in the public interest. It's time to #FreeAssange!
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Here we go again. Day 2 (the final day) of the UK High Court hearing of the US government’s appeal in the extradition case against @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange. I’ll be monitoring inside the courtroom for @RSF_inter and will have updates on this thread. 1/
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Carole has emphasised that no one - including the NCA, which was investigating - knew where Brexit funding had come from, whether Russia, America, or elsewhere. This is what was meant by “dark money”, and is what was being investigated.
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Court has concluded for today, and there will be a break tomorrow. We’ll return on Friday morning (which will be day five of proceedings) for closing arguments. I’ll be back to monitor for @RSF_inter. Thanks for following! /END.
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Okay I may have taken a selfie with @EnesFreedom at #MagnitskyAwards tonight - a giant in both basketball and human rights activism, with a heart of gold 💛
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Okay, I’m not done yet (still furious). The barriers we’ve faced monitoring proceedings in Assange’s case are extensive and evolving, and cannot be purely coincidence or incompetence, as it’s been at 3 separate courts and happened pre-Covid too. The common factor is the judge.
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I’ve been back to Belmarsh prison this morning to visit Julian Assange - my 5th visit since August. We remain concerned about his physical & mental health. It’s crucial to sustain international attention to his case as we wait for the #DayX court decision and beyond. #FreeAssange.
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With visible relief, Carole has now stepped down from the stand.
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If you are a journalist who has been targeted with NSO’s Pegasus spyware, please get in touch! @RSF_inter is looking to litigate. Let’s fight back together.
.@RSF_inter is currently deciding on the legal action it will take in one or more countries. We urge targeted journalists and media to contact. RSF in order to join in an appropriate legal response to the revelations about the #Pegasus spyware. #PegasusProject.
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Appalling, thuggish behaviour by anti-lockdown protesters towards BBC Newsnight political editor Nick Watt. This isn’t protest; it’s harassment & possibly assault (given Covid risk). Journalists must be able to do their jobs safely. The UK must do better.
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@StuartEdwards The fact that you’re aware & asking this is fantastic. Talk to other men about it, as many are oblivious. If you witness even low-key harassment, call it out. Everyone pretends not to notice the creeps making women uncomfortable. It only emboldens them & normalises the behaviour.
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Good morning. I’ll have updates on Julian Assange’s bail hearing on this thread today. The hearing takes place at 10 am GMT at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London. @RSF_inter calls again for Assange’s immediate release. #FreeAssange 1/.
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I was able to visit Julian Assange in Belmarsh prison today - my 6th visit since August. Despite the good news this week in the legal case, seeing him in these grim conditions is always heavy. He shouldn’t be behind bars in the UK, the US, or anywhere. It’s time to #FreeAssange!.
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McCormick: Where do you suggest [the funding] came from?. Carole: I don’t know. Nobody does.
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When asked by McCormick whether she still thinks there is cause for questioning about Banks’ funding in relation to Brexit, Carole responds yes, and refers to statements by the electoral commission and the NCA.
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Once again we find ourselves in an uncertain position regarding access to Julian Assange’s extradition proceedings. I’ve been told to email the High Court to ask again *the day before* the extradition appeal. It’s been constantly evolving requirements and barriers from the start.
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Carole emphasises: “The context in which I used these words was the assault on our democracy by a range of actors…and the vulnerability for electoral fraud created by these social media platforms”, noting again that there had been related investigations ongoing at the time.
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Appalling. Assange is being held purely on remand, while the USG continues its 11 year-old case against him for publishing information in the public interest. His mental health issues are well documented. His physical health is clearly at risk. What will it take to #FreeAssange?.
BREAKING: Julian #Assange suffered a stroke on the first day of the High Court appeal hearing on October 27th. He needs to be freed. Now. #FreeAssange .
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Asked repeatedly by McCormick why she hadn’t made it explicitly clear that there was no evidence of Russian funding, Carole has noted that McCormick is approaching this as if it were a news piece, when it was not - it was commentary.
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An extremely worrying threat by an actual police department in India - on top of a long history of other threats and attacks. The wonderful @RanaAyyub needs international support NOW.
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.@ObserverUK's @carolecadwalla wins Reporters Without Borders’ special ‘L’esprit de RSF’ award for her reporting on the manipulation and subversion of democratic processes in the US and UK.
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Carole has emphasised that she had worked with five highly experienced editors who reviewed the various drafts, and again explained how important the editorial process is, and how aware she and editors are of legal risks.
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“We operate in this country on the basis that publishers bear responsibility for what is published on their platforms, which is why we have such red-hot editors at the Observer”, Carole said, noting that Ted ultimately bears legal responsibility for what it publishes.
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We condemn today’s appalling decision by the UK High Court in the US extradition case against @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange, which marks a bleak moment for journalists and journalism around the world. @RSF_inter’s full reaction:
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Carole: “I just don’t know when Mr Banks tells the truth and when he doesn’t”.
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Hugely impressed by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and I deeply admire her courage and conviction in speaking out. The criticism from the “she should be grateful” crowd is vile, reactionary, and speaks to deep-seated prejudices that should have no place in the UK or anywhere in 2022.
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So much of my (very international) feed is currently about men in various country contexts attempting to control women’s bodies and choices. A tale as old as time. And we will keep fighting it until the end of time.
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As we wait to learn whether the UK High Court will accept the appeal filed by Julian Assange’s defence, tomorrow he will mark his 51st birthday in Belmarsh prison. At @RSF_inter we call again for the charges to be dropped and persist in our campaign to #FreeAssange!
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Asked what she intended to convey to the audience of her Ted talk, Carole said she wanted to get across that there were investigations and questions into the sources of funding for Brexit - summarised by McCormick as “questioning the legitimacy of Mr Banks’ funds”.
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Carole in response to questioning: “I think Mr Banks does have a shadow over him in the context of his relationship with the Russian government”.
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I’m not interested in your debates on my thread. I’m a frustrated and exhausted single parent isolated yet again, worried about her children, grateful for a school and an NHS that are doing their best, and angry with a government that’s always several predictable steps behind.
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I have now had to make my case to at least 10 different police officers. I am not moving. I will force an arrest if needed. It is within my rights to do my job. We are waiting for clarification from the judge about who will be allowed in. 14/.
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Now there’s discussion over references to “dark money” based on an email written by Banks to Steve Bannon (published by @openDemocracy), which Carole and a number of other journalists wrote pieces on, related to apparent attempts to find American funding for Leave campaigning.
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In response to McCormick’s final question, Carole stated: “I continue to believe that the Ted talk contains information highly in the public interest”. Regarding the one sentence about Banks: “I have fought what I believe is a SLAPP in a London court of law”.
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We’re back. Carole is explaining that Ted is a publisher, that they take responsibility for what they publish, that she had an editor there and her remarks went through the editorial process, and that the claimant would have insight into that process if they had sued Ted.
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The wonderful and courageous @RanaAyyub faces among the most vitriolic online abuse I have ever seen in my career - and it’s gotten far worse in recent weeks. At @RSF_inter we are proud to stand with her.
Journalist @RanaAyyub has described the trolling she’s received in the past weeks as “something I have never witnessed before.” We call for an end to these intimidation tactics and stand in support of journalists covering current events in India. @CFWIJ.
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.@JoeBiden an early test of your presidency - and your commitment to press freedom - will be how you handle the case against @wikileaks publisher Julian Assange. Drop the charges against him and bring the extradition proceedings to a halt. #FreeAssange.
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.@RobertBuckland, as Belmarsh prison is apparently incapable of giving Julian Assange his winter clothing for months now, perhaps you could personally intervene to ensure he’s not left to freeze on top of Covid exposure and mental health risks? Or better yet, just #FreeAssange.
It's snowing in London. Julian is having to wear layers of clothes to go to the exercise yard because his winter clothes in storage haven't been given to him. Julian won the case 3 weeks ago. He should be warm, at home with his kids. Not in a freezing prison. #FreeAssangeNOW
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And we’re back. Carole is on the stand and has responded to questions about researching, drafting and revising her remarks for the Ted talk she gave in Vancouver on 15 April 2019 (one of the bases of Banks’ case).
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After 12 years here I am still discovering things about the UK, so let me get this straight: MPs, even the PM and government Ministers, are allowed to lie in the House of Commons, but no one is allowed to call out the lie?.
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This is doing the rounds again, but there’s a way to share it without glorifying Aliyev. He’s no hero - I can’t stress enough how horrific his own record is. The point is the detention of Julian Assange undermines the US & UK’s credibility in raising human rights issues abroad.
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Court has resumed. Carole’s lawyer Gavin Millar QC has stated that she is finding cross examination quite stressful and that further breaks may be needed. I’m highlighting this to show this part of the human impact of SLAPP. No one would want to be in Carole’s position.
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Have a look at the replies to this, or any tweet about @RanaAyyub, for just a glimpse at the vicious coordinated attacks she faces every single day. She’s amazing and I’m proud to be her friend.
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We gathered at the site where #DaphneCaruanaGalizia was killed in Bidnija, Malta for a moment of silence at 3 pm today to mark four years since her horrific assassination. We won’t forget, and we won’t stop fighting for full #JusticeforDaphne.
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My bigger frustration is that T&T fails to link households - they treat everyone as an individual contact every time, even when it’s clear it spread within a household during isolation. Then they bombard you with automated calls, texts & emails - way too much when I was unwell.
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