Pardon Southern District New York (SDNY) target, Christopher Emms, a British citizen who literally did nothing wrong.
Democrat run Southern District New York AUSA's who prosecuted J6’ers also set their sights on a British national who has nothing to do with the US and committed no crime under UK or international law.
Chris was targeted by New York prosecutors Kimberly J. Ravener and Kyle A. Wirshba, as part of Biden’s cryptocurrency task force, essentially founded to go after industry professionals. After Trump visited DRNK and extended what appeared to be the beginning of friendship, Chris was invited to attend a crypto seminar in North Korea. After checking with the UK Ambassador that it was legal, he decided to go. Following an "uneventful and boring event", he was later approached by AUSA's Ravener and Wirshiba who accused him of violating US sanctions, something that never crossed his mind, given he is not a US citizen nor subject to US law. They accused him of violating IEEPA, simply because another American, Virgil Griffith, was there.
This is even more of a reach than the DOJ prosecution of Roman Sterlingov. The IEEPA only applies to “US persons”, but the FBI claims that since Virgil Griffith is an American citizen and was at the conference, Chris can be pursued on the very expansive grounds of conspiracy because they both spoke in front of a whiteboard one afternoon in a Pyongyang conference room.
The case against Chris Emms is an absurd contrivance, and the FBI knows it. Whenever the US has prosecuted other non-US persons on the basis of IEEPA, they have never had to justify its applicability; instead bullying accused foreigners into accepting plea deals. But Chris Emms is fighting the charge, and in so doing, he is fighting against the hubris and belligerence of America’s assumption of global jurisdiction, and defending the independence of the Cryptosphere.
Chris was pushed by Ravener and Wirshiba to give false testimony against another higher profile target in return for a ‘plea deal’. When he refused to do so, they publicly indicted him for “conspiring to violate US sanctions” and he was listed as one of the FBI’s most wanted. “Chris refused to tell lies to incarcerate others”, explains Radha Stirling, Crisis Manager and CEO of Due Process International, who has been assisting Chris. “As reported in the media, part of the deal would have required him to plead guilty to wire fraud, a crime he never committed. It was absolutely ridiculous”.
It beggars belief that these NY AG’s thought it was absolutely fine to put an international freezing order on Chris’s banks, place him on the Interpol Red Notice database and accuse him of violating US sanctions. “We are talking about a British citizen here. His British MP was outraged at the jurisdictional overreach”. The DOJ had Chris arrested in Saudi Arabia while traveling to another conference and pushed for his extradition. Saudi denied the extradition on the grounds that there was no crime, but after the near extradition of Julian Assange, Chris didn’t feel safe to return to the UK where he would potentially have to fight another extradition process, while all of his funds were frozen. He sought asylum in Russia until the matter could be sorted out.
From the safety of Russia, Chris has spoken at length about his ordeal. He’s been stuck there for two years. “His whole life was turned upside down”, says Stirling, “by the same prosecutors who have been noted for misconduct, withholding Brady materials in United States v. Reichburg for example.
District Court judges have urged investigations into SDNY prosecutors over misconduct, such as deliberately withholding exculpatory evidence.
“We emplore Trump, AG Pam Bondi, the likely FBI Director Kash Patel, Elon Musk and DOGE to investigate outstanding indictments and Interpol warrants issued under the Biden administration. Chris Emms, at the very least, should be free to return to his home country, the UK, without fear of extradition to the US where he has committed no crime. The Interpol warrant should be withdrawn and Interpol investigated for allowing warrants that promote universal jurisdiction. Imagine if other Interpol members like Iran, Saudi or China were able to issue Interpol Red Notices against people who haven’t even been to their countries and aren’t citizens.
“It’s a huge abuse of power and gives the US jurisdiction over everyone in the world, most of whom don’t even know US law because they’re not supposed to have to. This abuse of power costs the taxpayer millions as the overzealous DOJ pursues costly extraditions and prosecutions of non-criminals.
“Chris and his family are appealing for the indictment to be cancelled or a pardon to be issued. I hope these prosecutors are fired and that the system can be built back with some integrity. How on earth is it okay to threaten foreign nationals to give false witness?”
Trump has issued a collection of pardons, including for Ross Ulbricht while Elon Musk has said he will investigate the pursuit of Bitcoin entrepreneur Roger Ver. Christopher Emms is hopeful that with the new administration, these bogus indictments will be withdrawn.
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