How the CIA used a former Spanish soldier to keep tabs on Julian Assange

"I've been asked to conduct a study on the embassy staff, assistants, or guest team, and frequent visitors of the guest. We've been informed that the guest is suspected of working for the Russian intelligence services. We've been asked to determine if we can place one or more microphones in the guest's bedroom. They will be concealed and recording in real time This microphone must have FTP transmission capability with an output to a secure server."

"Dozens of intercepted emails from Morales and his employees demonstrate the espionage to which the Australian activist and his lawyers were subjected while they were preparing his defense against the U.S. justice system, which was seeking a 175-year prison sentence against him for revealing classified material about secret military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq."

"An investigation by EL PAIS, published in 2019, revealed audio recordings, videos, and reports about this espionage operation for the CIA. Weeks later, Morales was arrested and released on bail pending trial. After six years of judicial investigation, the owner of UC Global S.L. was facing prison sentences of between 13 and 20 years, sought by the prosecution and by Assange."

David Morales, owner of a Spanish security company contracted to protect Ecuador's embassy in London, orchestrated extensive surveillance of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange between 2017 and his departure from the embassy. Morales sent emails to employees requesting placement of concealed microphones in Assange's bedroom with real-time recording and secure server transmission capabilities. The operation was conducted on behalf of the CIA while Assange prepared his legal defense against U.S. charges seeking a 175-year prison sentence for publishing classified military documents. An investigation by EL PAIS in 2019 exposed audio recordings, videos, and reports documenting the espionage operation. After six years of judicial investigation, Morales faced prison sentences between 13 and 20 years from both prosecutors and Assange.

Read at english.elpais.com