Julian Assange's Options to Get Out of Ecuadorian Embassy Are Rapidly Narrowing

[Trish]

The government of the U.K. has denied a motion to grant Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 over fears he could be extradited, diplomatic protections.

Per the Guardian, Ecuadorian officials made the request in hopes that if Assange was certified as one of their diplomats—reports indicate he already has Ecuadorian citizenship—he could finally leave the embassy without fear of being arrested for violating U.K. bail conditions by fleeing there in the first place. While Swedish prosecutors dropped extradition requests related to sex crime allegations in May 2017, Assange fears that if British police detain him, U.S. prosecutors will immediately issue an extradition request over Wikileaks’ decision to publish troves of secret U.S. military documents.

Ecuador remains willing to shield Assange from any possible extradition for the immediate future but has no way of extracting him without London police interference, hence the impasse.

“The government of Ecuador recently requested diplomatic status for Mr. Assange here in the U.K.,” a Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson told the Guardian. “The U.K. did not grant that request, nor are we in talks with Ecuador on this matter. Ecuador knows that the way to resolve this issue is for Julian Assange to leave the embassy to face justice.”

The Ecuadorian government has become entirely fed up with the dispute over Assange’s status as it’s dragged on, calling the situation “untenable.” While Assange’s presence at the embassy has become a point of international tension and some domestic political griping in Ecuador, the unending fallout from his alleged involvement in a Russian operation to influence the 2016 U.S. federal elections in favor of Donald Trump has also apparently strained his hosts’ hospitality for some time. So it’s possible that Assange may eventually be forced to vacate regardless of whether the police are waiting to scoop him up.

As his options have diminished, Assange has grown steadily weirder, issuing long-shot appeals to Trump and those in his orbit to help him get out of his jam. Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions is one of the people most determined to prosecute him.
https://gizmodo.com/julian-assanges-...ass-1821973035

[Peter1469]

Sweden dropped the fake rape charges. I am not sure what legal basis anyone has to go after him at this point.

[Trish]

Sweden dropped the fake rape charges. I am not sure what legal basis anyone has to go after him at this point.

The way I read the article was that he is still being sought by the US for releasing military top secret documents. I imagine after this Administration is out of office the next Administration may also want to hold him accountable for his role in the Russian interference in our 2016 election.

[Peter1469]

The way I read the article was that he is still being sought by the US for releasing military top secret documents. I imagine after this Administration is out of office the next Administration may also want to hold him accountable for his role in the Russian interference in our 2016 election.

Neither of those are legitimate charges. Traditionally under US law, the leaker is in jeopardy, not the publisher of the leak.

As for the second - Wikileaks apparently did not work with the Russians.

[Trish]

Neither of those are legitimate charges. Traditionally under US law, the leaker is in jeopardy, not the publisher of the leak.

As for the second - Wikileaks apparently did not work with the Russians.

I concede that I don't have inside information about Mr. Assange's role with the Russians but I would say that I don't think you do either so we shouldn't speculate that he did or didn't at this point. For that I apologize.

[Common]

Assange is caught in a political cross of his own making. Doesnt look like the brits are going to give him a pass

[Captdon]

Perhaps launch him with a rocket.

[Tahuyaman]

Sweden dropped the fake rape charges. I am not sure what legal basis anyone has to go after him at this point.

Did Sweden actually drop the rape charge, or just suspend the investigation?

[donttread]

The government of the U.K. has denied a motion to grant Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 over fears he could be extradited, diplomatic protections.

Per the Guardian, Ecuadorian officials made the request in hopes that if Assange was certified as one of their diplomats—reports indicate he already has Ecuadorian citizenship—he could finally leave the embassy without fear of being arrested for violating U.K. bail conditions by fleeing there in the first place. While Swedish prosecutors dropped extradition requests related to sex crime allegations in May 2017, Assange fears that if British police detain him, U.S. prosecutors will immediately issue an extradition request over Wikileaks’ decision to publish troves of secret U.S. military documents.

Ecuador remains willing to shield Assange from any possible extradition for the immediate future but has no way of extracting him without London police interference, hence the impasse.

“The government of Ecuador recently requested diplomatic status for Mr. Assange here in the U.K.,” a Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson told the Guardian. “The U.K. did not grant that request, nor are we in talks with Ecuador on this matter. Ecuador knows that the way to resolve this issue is for Julian Assange to leave the embassy to face justice.”

The Ecuadorian government has become entirely fed up with the dispute over Assange’s status as it’s dragged on, calling the situation “untenable.” While Assange’s presence at the embassy has become a point of international tension and some domestic political griping in Ecuador, the unending fallout from his alleged involvement in a Russian operation to influence the 2016 U.S. federal elections in favor of Donald Trump has also apparently strained his hosts’ hospitality for some time. So it’s possible that Assange may eventually be forced to vacate regardless of whether the police are waiting to scoop him up.

As his options have diminished, Assange has grown steadily weirder, issuing long-shot appeals to Trump and those in his orbit to help him get out of his jam. Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions is one of the people most determined to prosecute him.
https://gizmodo.com/julian-assanges-...ass-1821973035

Good dog UK