Swiss Bank silences WikiLeaks.org

Court issues an ex parte order to defuse WikiLeaks.org domain, the defendants only a few hours’ notice by e-mail

WikiLeaks, “uncensorable” site that specializes in the distribution of sensitive document leaks and analysis, it lost control of its main WikiLeaks.org domain after a quick legal attack of Bank Julius Baer.

According to a report WikiLeaks housed in one of the many mirrors of the site, lawyers representing Bank Julius Baer held a hearing surprise to the strength of the site host Dynadot, deletion of the domain name and prevent its WikiLeaks.org transfer to another registrar.

The change followed a failed attempt to reach WikiLeaks to remove hundreds of leaked documents that the bank involved in money laundering and tax evasion.

According to an e-mail released transcript, contact a lawyer WikiLeaks mid-January with a cryptic legal petition demanding the site of contacts, without making mention of the documents in question. When WikiLeaks asked the company that sent the request for additional information, the debate took a tone of confrontation. “You have no legal right to demand advance knowledge of the name of our client and the documents in question,” wrote Lavely and Singer lawyer Evan Spiegel “, his site promotes, encourages and facilitates the publication and distribution of stolen, illegal and or Tortiously obtained corporate records. “

“You act at their own risk. Govern you accordingly,” Spiegel wrote.

Lavely and Singer client, and the nature of its application, it was not revealed until a brief telephone call on 22 January between Spiegel and WikiLeaks “pre-ligitation counsel, Julie Turner. After that, WikiLeaks said he had heard nothing further from Bank Julius Baer or their lawyers, to the surprise ex parte hearing last Friday.

WikiLeaks a press release, hastily prepared “for lack of time,” says that it was given only a few hours in advance of the hearing, and that he had received notice that via email. Where Turner appeared in the hearing “in a personal capacity”, was asked to leave the courtroom before proceeding.

WikiLeaks said the injunction was written by the Bank Julius Baer attorneys and accepted by a district court judge in California without additional amendments.

Turner said that she was surprised by the unusual request disclaimer: “It’s like saying that Time magazine published a page of material sensitive to [someone can] take all of the magazine and put a padlock on their presses,” he said.

A representative of Bank Julius Baer refused to comment, citing the pending legal proceedings.

Despite the flagship site for the domain, and a fire accident that struck the mirror of the Swedish site, as well as a series of Web sites offline piracy controversy, which is still available under a variety of aliases, including www.WikiLeaks.cx and www.WikiLeaks.la.