London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Julian Assange says rooms in Ecuadorian embassy were bugged

Julian Assange says rooms in Ecuadorian embassy were bugged

A Spanish security firm is accused of spying on the Wikileaks founder in his seven-year hideout.
Julian Assange has given evidence in court over claims his conversations were bugged while he was living at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

It is alleged he was targeted with an illegal surveillance campaign in which his private legal papers and medical record were snooped on along with embassy CCTV footage.

A Spanish security firm has been accused of offering the material to Spanish police during an undercover operation.

Assange, 48, appeared via video-link from maximum-security Belmarsh prison, where he is being held until a court decides whether to grant a US extradition request.

The hearing, which is unconnected to the extradition case, was closed to reporters as it involved matters of national security.

Edward Fitzgerald, QC, who represents him in the extradition battle, told the court yesterday: ‘There is a bundle with the revelations in the Spanish proceedings in regards to the ongoing evidence of the bugging of the conversations with his lawyers in the Ecuadorian embassy.’

Last week Assange’s lawyers told a court he was being blocked from seeing evidence in his extradition case because they are not being given enough access to him.

It is understood he would have given evidence to a Spanish judge tasked with investigating the surveillance case from within Westminster Magistrates Court today.

A small crowd of Assange’s supporters gathered outside the court in central London holding banners demanding his release.

His full extradition hearing will be heard at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court on February 24 and is expected to last four weeks.

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said she understood the UK government is keen for proceedings not to be delayed.

Assange faces 18 charges in US courts including conspiracy to commit computer intrusion over an alleged scheme to expose military secrets with former Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning.

Last month Swedish authorities dropped rape allegations made against him in 2010.

He is serving a 50-week jail term for breaching bail after he took refuge in a converted office in Ecuador’s embassy in 2012, from which he was evicted earlier this year.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×