WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange freed in US plea deal [Update at Post#86]

[Namak_Halaal]

​

The UK has issued a "threat" to enter the Ecuadorian embassy in London to arrest Julian Assange, Ecuador's foreign minister has said.

Mr Assange took refuge at the embassy in June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over assault and rape claims, which he denies.

Ricardo Patino also said a decision on the Wikileaks founder's asylum request would be made public on Thursday.

The Foreign Office said it could revoke the embassy's diplomatic status.

In a statement issued as Mr Patino spoke, it said the UK had a "legal obligation" to extradite Mr Assange.

Meanwhile, a number of police officers are outside the embassy, in Knightsbridge.

At a news conference in Quito on Wednesday night, Mr Patino said a letter was delivered to the Ecuadorian government through a British embassy official.

"Today we received from the United Kingdom an express threat, in writing, that they might storm our Embassy in London if we don't hand over Julian Assange," he said.

"Ecuador rejects in the most emphatic terms the explicit threat of the British official communication."

'Hostile act'

He said such a threat was "improper of a democratic, civilized and rule abiding country".

"If the measure announced in the British official communication is enacted, it will be interpreted by Ecuador as an unacceptable, unfriendly and hostile act and as an attempt against our sovereignty. It would force us to respond," he said.

"We are not a British colony".

A Foreign Office spokesman said the UK remained "determined" to fulfil its obligation to extradite Mr Assange.

"Throughout this process have we have drawn the Ecuadorians' attention to relevant provisions of our law, whether, for example, the extensive human rights safeguards in our extradition procedures, or to the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK," the spokesman said.

"We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution."

The law which Britain is threatening to invoke in the Assange case is the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987.

UK 'frustrated'

It allows the UK to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr Assange.

The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale says the British government has been in long negotiations with Ecuador over the issue and has reminded it of the act.

But he added that while the UK has been frustrated at the lack of a decision it is not about to raid the embassy.

Even if Mr Assange is granted asylum, he will have to cross British territory and could be arrested, our correspondent said.

On Monday, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said a decision would be made this week after he held a meeting with his advisers.

Mr Patino told reporters the decision had been made and an announcement would issued on Thursday morning, at 07:00 Ecuadorian time (13:00 BST).

Final appeal

Mr Assange's Wikileaks website published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly the US, in 2010.

In 2010, two female ex-Wikileaks volunteers alleged that Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, had attacked them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.

Mr Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated.

The 41-year-old says he fears that if he is extradited to Sweden, he may be sent later to the US and could face espionage charges.

In June, judges at the UK's Supreme Court dismissed his final appeal against extradition to Sweden.

An offer to the Swedish authorities by Ecuador for investigators to interview Mr Assange inside the embassy, was rejected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19259623​

This could turn messy!

 

[Black Zero]

British cannot do this, simple!

 

[Gabbar Singh]

7 years later.....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WATCH: Moment Julian Assange is CARRIED out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. <a href="https://t.co/OEeqmoksGr">pic.twitter.com/OEeqmoksGr</a></p>— RT UK (@RTUKnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/RTUKnews/status/1116276959531667457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Gabbar Singh]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Julian Assange arrested by British police at Ecuadorean embassy <a href="https://t.co/8jOdDLlAJP">https://t.co/8jOdDLlAJP</a> <a href="https://t.co/8aSpc256cw">pic.twitter.com/8aSpc256cw</a></p>— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1116277048690073600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[shaaik]

Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London

Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange took refuge in the embassy seven years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault case that has since been dropped.

The Metropolitan Police said he had been taken into custody and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court "as soon as is possible".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-4789173...r&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking

 

[Gabbar Singh]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A statement from Ecuador's president, Lenin Moreno, says his country withdrew asylum from Julian Assange for 'repeatedly violating international conventions and [the] protocol of coexistence.' <a href="https://t.co/KVrsQtbQqC">https://t.co/KVrsQtbQqC</a></p>— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCAlerts/status/1116279327937708032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A statement from Ecuador's president, Lenin Moreno, says his country withdrew asylum from Julian Assange for 'repeatedly violating international conventions and [the] protocol of coexistence.' <a href="https://t.co/KVrsQtbQqC">https://t.co/KVrsQtbQqC</a></p>— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCAlerts/status/1116279327937708032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Should have learned to clean his living space regularly Damn.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Should have learned to clean his living space regularly Damn.

He even spied on his hosts lol.

Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, has hacked into the communications of his hosts at the Ecuadorean embassy who in turn have spent millions spying on him, it was claimed yesterday.

Last night Mr Assange, 46, was accused of breaching systems at the embassy in Knightsbridge to see official and personal communications of staff.

He has been holed up there since 2012 after losing his legal attempt to resist extradition to Sweden for questioning on suspicion of rape and sexual assault, allegations he denies.

For most of that time Ecuador’s intelligence agency, Senain, was spying on the man known in files leaked to The Guardian and to Buzzfeed as “the guest”, through a private company. Details of payments to the company emerged yesterday, with estimates of at least £3.7 million handed over to “protect” Mr Assange, screen his guests, detail his daily activities and put together options for his escape.

The company charged $66,000 (£48,000) a month for security, intelligence gathering and counterintelligence, according to The Guardian.

A 24-hour security team ran operations codenamed Guest and Hotel from a £2,800-a-month rented flat opposite the embassy.

A source told the newspaper that Mr Assange had breached the embassy’s firewall to intercept the communications of staff.

The newspaper added that in 2014 the company paid to film Mr Assange’s visitors had told the Ecuadorean government that he was “intercepting and gathering information from the embassy and the people who worked there”.

The files, the bulk of which first surfaced in 2015, show that Operation Hotel cost about £740,000 in 2012.

Mr Assange, who is no longer wanted in Sweden but faces arrest for breaching bail in the UK if he leaves the embassy, has lost favour there and has been denied visitors and internet access. The documents appear to show that CCTV cameras were installed in the embassy and that a list of all visitors was sent to the ambassador each month.

Mr Assange’s leaks of Democratic party emails in 2016 have come under recent scrutiny as part of an investigation by Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the US election.

The visitor logs are likely to include a detailed account of the visit of Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader, who has denied handing a USB stick to Mr Assange.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...dorean-embassy-as-they-spied-on-him-bffngmp83

 

[shaaik]

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in central London, police have said.

A defiant Mr Assange, sporting a long white beard and wagging a finger, was carried out and hauled into a police van.

He has been in the building for nearly seven years after seeking refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden and was detained on Thursday after the Ecuadorian government withdrew his asylum.

WikiLeaks said on Twitter that Ecuadorian ambassador "invited British police into the embassy" and Mr Assange was immediately arrested.

Following Mr Assange's arrest, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has thanked the government of Ecuador for its cooperation on the arrest.

In a tweet, Hunt said Assange was "no hero" and that "no one is above the law."

Europe minister Sir Alan Duncan said: "It is absolutely right that Assange will face justice in the proper way in the UK.

"It is for the courts to decide what happens next."

Sir Alan said they are grateful to Ecuador's government under President Lenín Moreno for the action they have taken and that today's events follow "extensive dialogue between our two countries."

Mr Moreno said on Twitter: "In a sovereign decision Ecuador withdrew the asylum status to Julian Assange after his repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life protocols."

The WikiLeaks founder, 47, has been living in Ecuador's London embassy since 2012 after he sought refuge there following a British judge ruling he should be extradited to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations.

Sweden dropped the case in 2017 but Mr Assange remained in the London embassy as he feared being extradited to the US to face charges over the WikiLeaks website's release of sensitive US government files.

Scotland Yard said in a statement that Mr Assange has been taken into custody at a central London police station, where he will remain, before being presented before Westminster Magistrates' Court as soon as is possible.

Last Thursday, WikiLeaks claimed that a senior source in Ecuador's state department had said that Mr Assange would be expelled. But Ecuador's minister of foreign affairs Jose Valencia said the claims were "unfounded" at the time.

https://news.sky.com/story/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arrested-in-london-11690473

 

[Stewie]

I guess the worlds powers think he knows too much and has got to go now. This is completely illegal as were his methods to obtain information.

 

[pillionrider]

Shame coming from the UK whom the world (despite their dubious past), still looks up to, for democratic and just traditions

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The extradition of Julian Assange to the US for exposing evidence of atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan should be opposed by the British government.<a href="https://t.co/CxTUrOfkHt">pic.twitter.com/CxTUrOfkHt</a></p>— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1116424423953903616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

******** WARNING - Dont play the video if you are of a sensitive nature **************


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This shocking video from Iraq, revealed by WikiLeaks, showing the killing of civilians and Reuters journalists provides some context to today’s moves towards extraditing Julian Assange to the USA. <a href="https://t.co/GQwg0Spbz6">pic.twitter.com/GQwg0Spbz6</a></p>— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardBurgon/status/1116374507701329920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[shaaik]

The man who disclosed the information of World Powers to the world is treated as a Terrorist While the man who discloses the information of ours to World Powers is hailed as "the person of the Year".... How Ironic...

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Very sad. Label him russian agent and put him in guantanamo bay like facilities for life.

 

[MenInG]

The arrest and expected extradition of Julian Assange has set into motion what could prove to be the most important free speech and free press case in our history. Or not.

Assange has been charged with a single count of participating in the hacking of intelligence computers with Chelsea Manning to reveal controversial intelligence operations in the United States.

For many, Assange is a journalist, a whistleblower, a hero. Yet for others in Washington, he is the man who embarrassed the establishment in Congress, the intelligence community and even the media.

Those powerful foes are likely to bring considerable pressure to deny Assange a platform for highlighting the operations that led to massive civilian losses and undisclosed military strikes, the very type of information disclosed in the celebrating "Pentagon Papers" case involving the New York Times in the Vietnam War.

For historians in both Great Britain and the United States, there should be something eerily familiar in this controversy.

Almost 300 years ago, the foundations for American protections of the free press were laid in the trial of John Peter Zenger.

The case has striking similarities to the pending prosecution of the Wikileaks founder.

Media captionVideo footage shows Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy in London
In the case, the recently installed British governor William Cosby was the subject of an anonymous pamphlet that detailed his many abusive and corrupt practices in New York and New Jersey, from stealing Indian lands to pilfering the Treasury to rigging elections.

Cosby ordered four editions of the Zenger's New York Weekly Journal publicly burned and arrested Zenger. He then installed a biased judge who held Zenger's defence lawyer in contempt.

Despite using every means to punish Zenger for what Cosby called "scandalous, virulent, false and seditious reflections", the colonial jurors balked and acquitted him.

It was the defining moment for the colonies and ultimately led to far stronger protections of journalists in the United States than in Britain, as embodied in the first amendment to the US constitution declaring that "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom... of the press."

Much has changed in the United States for the press, but perhaps not as much as we claim.

The Justice Department crafted the charge to evade the constitutional concerns over the prosecution - and the unresolved status of Assange.

By alleging that Assange was given a password and helped set up a cloud for Manning to share the data, the government is charging him not with the distribution of the material but actively participating in its theft.

However, the unsealed indictment in Alexandria, Virginia, is remarkably thin on evidence that Assange played such an active role or used the password in question.

Setting up a cloud for sharing information can easily be viewed as simply facilitating the anonymous disclosure from a source. Where reporters once arranged for drop spots, there are now digital equivalents for such exchanges.

Rather than exploring reasons and effort to reveal controversial intelligence operations, Assange could be forced to confine his defence to the more mundane charge of "computer intrusion".

Yet, the indictment is conspicuously thin on the evidence of that role. The government alleges that Manning gave "a portion" of a password "to crack" which "was stored as a 'hash value' in a computer file that was accessible only by users with administrative-level privileges".

However, the government then says not that Assange arranged to crack the code but only that "cracking the password would have allowed Manning to log onto the computers under a username that did not belong to her".

Such a measure would have made it more difficult for investigators to identify Manning as the source of disclosures of classified information.

Assange is likely to face more charges once he is in the United States.

A superseding indictment might encompass the role Wikileaks played in publishing emails stolen from the Democratic Party during the 2016 election campaign.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for their part in the hack and alluded to Wikileaks in those indictments, although not by name.

However, thus far, no Americans have been indicted for any alleged conspiracy with the Russians and, putting aside the narrative, Assange is so far being prosecuted for the same type of conduct as people messing with Netflix passwords.

But for now, the US only wants to show under extradition laws that there is a reasonable basis for believing that Assange committed a crime in the United States. The government also wants to avoid any criminal charge that could result in the death penalty.

Nevertheless, the Justice Department is likely to do what the British government failed to do with Zenger.

It will focus its charges on insular acts like sharing passwords or hacking. By doing so, the government can file a motion (what's called a motion in limine) to prevent Assange from raising his motivations or the disclosure of the secret operations.

It could be declared immaterial. The jury will not hear the type of evidence that Zenger's lawyers forced into his trial. Assange would look simply like some slightly creepy-looking Australian hacker.

US Attorney Tracey McCormick in Virginia could succeed if she keeps any counts focused on such technical and narrow acts.

It would be like reducing the whole of Macbeth to the final scene where Macduff beheads the King, and therefore revealing nothing about his motivation or history.

Reduced to Act V, Macduff simply looks like a blood-soaked regicidal maniac, rather than an avenging hero saving the country from a tyrannical leader.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, Wikileaks could not be vanquished until the Great Assange came to Capitol Hill.

He is now likely on his way and the trial could make the Zenger trial look like a model of transparency and accuracy.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47874728

 

[Technics 1210]

7 years later.....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WATCH: Moment Julian Assange is CARRIED out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. <a href="https://t.co/OEeqmoksGr">pic.twitter.com/OEeqmoksGr</a></p>— RT UK (@RTUKnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/RTUKnews/status/1116276959531667457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Amazing what the lack of sunlight can do to a human body!

 

[MosheD]

Amazing what the lack of sunlight can do to a human body!

Lack of sunlight and constant mental strain ? he looks a 100 years old, I was shocked.

 

[Robert]

Shame coming from the UK whom the world (despite their dubious past), still looks up to, for democratic and just traditions

The bloke is at the very least a bail-jumper and must serve time for that. I understand that the Swedes are looking into reopening their case against him too.

 

[Zeeraq]

Julian Assange: Sweden considers reviving rape inquiry

Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange could face a renewed investigation into an allegation of rape in Sweden.

Assange, 47, who had been granted asylum in Ecuador's London embassy for seven years, was arrested on Thursday.

Swedish prosecutors said they were examining the case at the request of the alleged victim's lawyer.

The US also wants to extradite him from the UK over his alleged role in one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets in 2010.

Australian-born Assange faces a charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in the US for his alleged role in one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets in 2010, which could result in a prison term of up to five years.

Lawyer Elizabeth Massi Fritz said she would do "everything we possibly can" to get the investigation reopened in Sweden.

Assange sought refuge in the Knightsbridge embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges. But Ecuador abruptly withdrew its asylum and invited the police to arrest him on Thursday.

After his dramatic arrest, he was taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court and found guilty of a British charge of breaching bail. He spent Thursday night in custody and is facing up to 12 months in prison for that conviction.

The United Nations has called for his right to a fair trial to be respected during any extradition process.

What is the Swedish investigation about?

Assange was accused of rape following a Wikileaks conference in Stockholm in 2010. He has always denied the allegation, saying the sex was consensual.

Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation into Assange in 2017 because they were unable to proceed while he remained in the Ecuadorean embassy.

Assange also faced two other charges of molestation and unlawful coercion, but these were dropped in 2015 because time had run out.

Prosecutors will now re-examine the rape case to decide whether to resume it before the statute of limitations runs out in August 2020.

Ms Massi Fritz, lawyer for the alleged victim, said the arrest came as a shock but "what we have been waiting and hoping for since 2012 has now finally happened".

She said: "No rape victim should have to wait nine years to see justice be served."

What does the US want with Assange?

Assange is due to face a hearing over his possible extradition to the US on 2 May.

The US Department of Justice has accused him of conspiring with former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to commit "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States".

Manning was arrested in 2010 for disclosing more than 700,000 confidential documents, including a video of US soldiers killing civilians from a helicopter in Iraq. She was recently jailed for a second time for refusing to testify in an investigation into Wikileaks.

Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson said they would be fighting the extradition request. She said it set a "dangerous precedent" for journalists publishing information about the US.

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said the charges had been crafted to avoid free speech concerns by accusing Assange of participating in the theft of information. But he said the indictment was "thin on evidence".

During a briefing at the White House following Assange's arrest, US President Donald Trump was asked by reporters if he stood by his election campaign remark that he loved Wikileaks, which released damaging information on his opponent Hillary Clinton.

"I know nothing about Wikileaks," said Mr Trump. "It's not my thing."

How has the UK reacted?

With Assange facing extradition proceedings and up to five years in federal prison on the US computer hacking charge, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the UK should resist handing him over.

She said: "This is all about Wikileaks and all of that embarrassing information about the activities of the American military and security services that was made public."

Initially Ms Abbott dismissed the Swedish allegations, saying three times that Assange was never charged, but she later said he should face the criminal justice system if the Swedish government does charge him.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also said the UK should oppose Assange's extradition, "for exposing evidence of atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan".

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale said backing Assange is not without political risk and will not find universal favour among Labour MPs - but it means "the battle over Assange's future will now be as much political as it is legal".

Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the arrest, saying it showed that "in the UK, no one is above the law".

How does the extradition process work?

Whether Assange is extradited to the US will depend on the decision of a judge and the UK home secretary, following a procedure set out in a 2003 treaty.

Lawyer Rebecca Niblock said the extradition decision lies primarily with the courts and since changes were introduced in 2013, only a judge can decide whether an extradition breaches an individual's human rights.

The home secretary can only consider a limited number of issues when deciding whether to order an extradition, including whether the person is at risk of the death penalty.

However, if Sweden also made an extradition request, Ms Niblock said it would be for the home secretary to decide which request would take precedence, considering factors such as the seriousness of the offence and which request was made first.

The process for extradition from the UK to Sweden is similar, except that begins with a European Arrest Warrant.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47910820

 

[MenInG]

More than 70 MPs have signed a letter urging the home secretary to ensure Julian Assange faces authorities in Sweden if they request his extradition.

Labour's Stella Creasy tweeted a copy of the note sent to Sajid Javid.

WikiLeaks co-founder Assange was arrested on Thursday in relation to an extradition request from the US, where he is facing computer hacking charges.

He had spent seven years in Ecuador's London embassy, evading trial in Sweden for sex assaults which he has denied.

At the time, Assange said he had had entirely consensual sex with two women while on a trip to Stockholm and that the Swedish claims against him were part of a smear campaign.

Swedish prosecutors dropped a rape investigation into Assange in 2017 because they were unable to formally notify him of the allegations while he stayed in the embassy.

Two other charges of molestation and unlawful coercion had to be dropped in 2015 because time had run out.

But Swedish prosecutors say they are now re-examining the 47-year-old's case at the request of the lawyer acting for the alleged rape victim.

The letter, signed by mostly Labour MPs, urges Mr Javid to "stand with the victims of sexual violence" and ensure the rape claim against the 47-year-old can be "properly investigated".

"We do not presume guilt, of course, but we believe due process should be followed and the complainant should see justice be done," it says.

The rape allegation has a limitation period which expires in August 2020, it adds.

Inquiries into claims of molestation and unlawful coercion have already been timed out.

On Friday evening, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said Assange should be extradited to Sweden before any attempt to get him to the US.

She said she was "disgusted" the American allegation had been "allowed to eclipse" the sex offence case.

Extradition proceedings are dealt with by the courts.

According to the Home Office, the home secretary can bring a limited number of factors into consideration when deciding whether to order a person's extradition.

These include whether the person might be at risk of the death penalty or whether the requesting state might try to add additional charges it has not specified.

However, lawyer Rebecca Niblock said that, if Sweden made an extradition request, it would be for the home secretary to decide which would take precedence, considering factors such as which was made first and the seriousness of the offence.

Australian-born Assange faces a charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion in the US for his alleged role in one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets, in 2010, which could result in a prison term of up to five years.

The US Department of Justice has accused him of conspiring with former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to commit "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States".

Advance notice?
Assange sought refuge in the Ecuador embassy, in Knightsbridge, west London, in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault. But after seven years, Ecuador abruptly withdrew its asylum and invited the police to arrest him on Thursday.

The MPs' letter says both UK and US authorities seem to have been aware in advance of Ecuador's decision to rescind Mr Assange's political asylum.

"It is therefore of grave concern to us that it appears that the Swedish authorities were not aware of the plans made to arrest Mr Assange yesterday in London, and we would welcome clarity as to what action the UK authorities took to ensure that the Swedish prosecutors were informed in advance of this decision," it adds.

After his dramatic arrest, Assange was taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court and found guilty of a British charge of breaching bail. He spent Thursday night in custody and is facing up to 12 months in prison for that conviction.

Assange is due to face a hearing over his possible extradition to the US on 2 May.

Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson said they would be fighting the extradition request. She said it set a "dangerous precedent" for journalists publishing information about the US.

The UN has called for his right to a fair trial to be respected during any extradition process.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47917325

 

[SensiblePakFan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The woman associated with the supposed "rape" allegation against Julian Assange said she had been “railroaded by police and others around her."<br><br>She said she "did not want to accuse JA for anything," adding "it was the police who made up the charges"<br><br>This is from court documents <a href="https://t.co/TJHU7na1UN">pic.twitter.com/TJHU7na1UN</a></p>— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1116416838198550529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The woman associated with the supposed "rape" allegation against Julian Assange said she had been “railroaded by police and others around her."<br><br>She said she "did not want to accuse JA for anything," adding "it was the police who made up the charges"<br><br>This is from court documents <a href="https://t.co/TJHU7na1UN">pic.twitter.com/TJHU7na1UN</a></p>— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1116416838198550529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The woman associated with the supposed "rape" accusation against Assange said she didn't want to accuse him and police made it up.<br><br>Then Stockholm's chief prosecutor, Eva Finne, dismissed the 'rape' investigation altogether, saying, "There is no suspicion of any crime whatsoever" <a href="https://t.co/hC7IlSQL8j">pic.twitter.com/hC7IlSQL8j</a></p>— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1116419903760867328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Seems fishy.

 

[Madplayer]

Suddenly he became a rapist. He will soon be called an outer space alien who wants to take over the world.

 

[Robert]

Suddenly he became a rapist. He will soon be called an outer space alien who wants to take over the world.

Suddenly? He was in the Embassy for seven years to avoid facing these charges.

 

[Pakpak]

Suddenly? He was in the Embassy for seven years to avoid facing these charges.

He was in the embassy to avoid being sent to the US. Everything is bogus just so the US can get their hands on him.

 

[Robert]

He was in the embassy to avoid being sent to the US. Everything is bogus just so the US can get their hands on him.

He was in the embassy to avoid the Swedish arrest warrant, which predates the American arrest warrant.
If the Swedes re-open the warrant, he must face his accusers.

 

[Pakpak]

He was in the embassy to avoid the Swedish arrest warrant, which predates the American arrest warrant.
If the Swedes re-open the warrant, he must face his accusers.

Not really, he said it numerous times the Americans would have tried to get him, Swedish warrant or no Swedish warrant. Which they 100% would have, warrants from the US would have come thick and fast as soon as his plane landed in Sweden.

 

[Robert]

Not really, he said it numerous times the Americans would have tried to get him, Swedish warrant or no Swedish warrant. Which they 100% would have, warrants from the US would have come thick and fast as soon as his plane landed in Sweden.

The important think for the U.K. courts is to recognise the prior claim and release him into Swedish custody, not US custody, assuming the Swedes reinstate charges. What the Swedes do is up to them, if he enters their jurisdiction.

 

[Pakpak]

The important think for the U.K. courts is to recognise the prior claim and release him into Swedish custody, not US custody, assuming the Swedes reinstate charges. What the Swedes do is up to them, if he enters their jurisdiction.

...and we know they will send him to US. Hence the reason why Assange hid out in the embassy instead of going to Sweden.

All of this is about the US being angry and in turn wanting to punish him.

 

[Technics 1210]

Suddenly? He was in the Embassy for seven years to avoid facing these charges.

Sweden dropped the charges in May 2017.

The reality is that the rape case was a front and excuse to arrest him for revealing the true innerworks of the USA military.

 

[Technics 1210]

He was in the embassy to avoid the Swedish arrest warrant, which predates the American arrest warrant.
If the Swedes re-open the warrant, he must face his accusers.

The Swedish arrest warrant however does NOT predate his leaks exposing cables and military actions by the USA.

 

[Robert]

Sweden dropped the charges in May 2017.

The reality is that the rape case was a front and excuse to arrest him for revealing the true innerworks of the USA military.

The charges were dropped because their statute of limitations ran out while he was in asylum. The Swedes may restart proceedings.

How do you know the reality? I would not refer to complaints of rape and sexual assault made by women as “a front”. Imagine if the alleged victim was a relative of yours. You would want her testimony taken seriously and that she gets her day in court.

While I think it important that wrongdoing by military personnel is exposed, there is more to it than this.

Wikileaks was used by American and Russian fascists to smear Clinton and thereby influence the US election, and some of these people influenced the Brexit vote too.

Assange strikes me not so much as a sword of truth, but as a vain man who has been a useful idiot for some amoral and dangerous people.

 

[Technics 1210]

The charges were dropped because their statute of limitations ran out while he was in asylum. The Swedes may restart proceedings.

If the Statue of limitations were exhausted, how can the Swedes restart the proceedings?

How do you know the reality? I would not refer to complaints of rape and sexual assault made by women as “a front”. Imagine if the alleged victim was a relative of yours. You would want her testimony taken seriously and that she gets her day in court.

While I think it important that wrongdoing by military personnel is exposed, there is more to it than this.

Wikileaks was used by American and Russian fascists to smear Clinton and thereby influence the US election, and some of these people influenced the Brexit vote too.

Assange strikes me not so much as a sword of truth, but as a vain man who has been a useful idiot for some amoral and dangerous people.

You are right, there is more to the USA military. Were the helicopter pilots who killed innocent Iraqis, court marshaled?

It was more than the Clinton emails. Remember, Assange never hacked into any systems, he was provided information. Plus Clinton isn't exactly squeeky clean either. Why was it the media to expose Trump, but not Clinton? The result went the wrong way? Also, why is Assange considered a threat to world media by the Australians? He questioned and exposed the narrative?

It's time we stop blaming 3rd party forces on outcomes we cannot fathom. Trump, Brexit, the rise of populous politics has very little to do with information, but more to do we austerity and the lack of political connect with the common man. You think people voted Brexit because they saw a social media post or because of years of hardship? You think people voted Trump because one day they realised there was an immigration issue? You are giving too much power to one man be it Assange or Putin.

 

[Robert]

If the Statue of limitations were exhausted, how can the Swedes restart the proceedings?



You are right, there is more to the USA military. Were the helicopter pilots who killed innocent Iraqis, court marshaled?

It was more than the Clinton emails. Remember, Assange never hacked into any systems, he was provided information. Plus Clinton isn't exactly squeeky clean either. Why was it the media to expose Trump, but not Clinton? The result went the wrong way? Also, why is Assange considered a threat to world media by the Australians? He questioned and exposed the narrative?

It's time we stop blaming 3rd party forces on outcomes we cannot fathom. Trump, Brexit, the rise of populous politics has very little to do with information, but more to do we austerity and the lack of political connect with the common man. You think people voted Brexit because they saw a social media post or because of years of hardship? You think people voted Trump because one day they realised there was an immigration issue? You are giving too much power to one man be it Assange or Putin.

1. Dunno, I was applying a concept from English tort law, Swedish statute law may be different.

2. Dunno. Aussies are part of Five Eyes too, with UK, USA, Canada and NZ so maybe they have identified Assange as a security threat. Just a guess.

3. Austerity in the UK was a factor, but so was a twenty year propaganda campaign by right wing tabloids which was never challenged by the MEPs. Micro-targeted FB advertising, of the most disgusting xenophobic nature putting any brown and black faces in the firing line was also a factor in stimulating three million white people to vote who never voted before. Make no mistake, fascism is on the rise my friend.

 

[Technics 1210]

2. Dunno. Aussies are part of Five Eyes too, with UK, USA, Canada and NZ so maybe they have identified Assange as a security threat. Just a guess.

Of course the information he released was a threat! The information undermines the 5EYE narrative.

3. Austerity in the UK was a factor, but so was a twenty year propaganda campaign by right wing tabloids which was never challenged by the MEPs. Micro-targeted FB advertising, of the most disgusting xenophobic nature putting any brown and black faces in the firing line was also a factor in stimulating three million white people to vote who never voted before. Make no mistake, fascism is on the rise my friend.

20 years ago there was no social media. This proves what I am saying, people did not change their minds because they saw a post. If we really are to question influence, then why is it ok for politicians to influence people and MPs for their vote? Why is it the same politicians used the same tools, social media, to influence and win votes, but weep when they lose and blame the other party because they are better at influencing?

 

[Robert]

Of course the information he released was a threat! The information undermines the 5EYE narrative.

Five Eyes doesn’t have a narrative, it’s an Anglosphere convention for intelligence sharing.

20 years ago there was no social media. This proves what I am saying, people did not change their minds because they saw a post. If we really are to question influence, then why is it ok for politicians to influence people and MPs for their vote? Why is it the same politicians used the same tools, social media, to influence and win votes, but weep when they lose and blame the other party because they are better at influencing?

Yes, they did! Three million of them were stimulated to vote due to disgusting dog-whistle adverts and fake news.

This is something different, appealing to people’s basest emotions. Decent parties don’t do this, but fascists will because they want BAME people gone. Didn’t you see the fake news circulated, the undercover boat operations exposed by Channel 4?

I have been trying to wake people on PP up to this growing cancer for two years.

 

[Technics 1210]

Five Eyes doesn’t have a narrative, it’s an Anglosphere convention for intelligence sharing.

But they do have secrets which were exposed by Assange.

Yes, they did! Three million of them were stimulated to vote due to disgusting dog-whistle adverts and fake news.

This is something different, appealing to people’s basest emotions. Decent parties don’t do this, but fascists will because they want BAME people gone. Didn’t you see the fake news circulated, the undercover boat operations exposed by Channel 4?

I have been trying to wake people on PP up to this growing cancer for two years.

Do you believe it is just politicians that use social media to convince people? The media do it all the time, businesses do it all the time.

It is the dark side of the internet, no doubt.

By the way, how was the figure of 3 million derived? Were the voters asked what influenced their vote?

My friend, fake news has been around since day one. The only difference today is that news travels faster.

 

[Robert]

But they do have secrets which were exposed by Assange.

Do you believe it is just politicians that use social media to convince people? The media do it all the time, businesses do it all the time.

It is the dark side of the internet, no doubt.

By the way, how was the figure of 3 million derived? Were the voters asked what influenced their vote?

My friend, fake news has been around since day one. The only difference today is that news travels faster.

I remember hearing that figure on that Benedict Cumberbatch programme. Or maybe just one million. Enough to swing the vote anyway. Tower blocks in London with 25% working class white turnout for GEs were at 75% for the Referendum, motivated by far right dogwhistling.

Yes, advertising people use these techniques but only to get people to buy stuff, not create fissures in society. Bad times are coming. Destructive primal emotions have resurfaced. My blue eyes will protect me but I worry about you and yours. We waste time arguing about which of us is right while our country slides toward something hideous. I urge everyone to become politically engaged, join the party of your choice and fight for liberty and brotherhood.

 

[MenInG]

Assange smeared faeces in Ecuador embassy,' says president
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno has told the BBC why his government decided to revoke Julian Assange's asylum.

The Wikileaks co-founder was arrested in London on 11 April after seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Mr Moreno accused Mr Assange of rubbing excrement on the embassy walls. Mr Assange's lawyer has accused Ecuador of "outrageous allegations".

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-l...ared-faeces-in-ecuador-embassy-says-president

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

Assange smeared faeces in Ecuador embassy,' says president
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno has told the BBC why his government decided to revoke Julian Assange's asylum.

The Wikileaks co-founder was arrested in London on 11 April after seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Mr Moreno accused Mr Assange of rubbing excrement on the embassy walls. Mr Assange's lawyer has accused Ecuador of "outrageous allegations".

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-l...ared-faeces-in-ecuador-embassy-says-president

B.S. pretext just to appease the empire (no pun intended).

 

[Zeeraq]

WikiLeaks' Assange gets 50 weeks in prison for bail breach

A British judge on Wednesday sentenced WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to 50 weeks in prison for skipping bail seven years ago and holing up in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Judge Deborah Taylor said it was hard to imagine a more serious version of the offense as she gave the 47-year-old hacker a sentence close to the maximum of a year in custody.

She said Assange's seven years in the embassy had cost British taxpayers 16 million pounds ($21 million), and said he sought asylum as a “deliberate attempt to delay justice.”

The white-haired Assange stood impassively with his hands clasped while the sentence was read. His supporters in the public gallery at Southwark Crown Court chanted “Shame on you” at the judge as Assange was led away.

The Australian secret-spiller sought asylum in the South American country's London embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations.

Assange's lawyer Mark Summers told a courtroom packed with journalists and WikiLeaks supporters that his client sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy because “he was living with overwhelming fear of being rendered to the United States”.

He said Assange had a “well-founded” fear that he would be mistreated and possibly sent to the US detention camp for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay.

Summers read a letter from Assange apologising for his behavior in 2012 and saying “I did what I thought was best.”

“I found myself struggling with terrifying circumstances,” the letter said.

Assange was arrested on April 11 after Ecuador revoked his political asylum, accusing him of everything from meddling in the nation's foreign affairs to poor hygiene.

He faces a separate court hearing on Thursday on a US extradition request. American authorities have charged Assange with conspiring to break into a Pentagon computer system.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1479612/wikileaks-assange-gets-50-weeks-in-prison-for-bail-breach

 

[topspin]

Smearing faeces doesn't sound legit.

It's more likely to do with the fact behind the scenes, Ecuadorian and British govts (pressured by US) struck a deal to get him chucked out.

 

[Robert]

He’s safe from the US govt for another 50 weeks anyway. Let’s see if the Swedes re-open their arrest warrant.

 

[sweep_shot]

STOCKHOLM: Swedish prosecutors said on Tuesday they have dropped their investigation into jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over a 2010 rape allegation, even though they found the plaintiff’s claim “credible”.

“My assessment is that all investigative measures that can be taken have been taken. But... the evidence is not strong enough to file an indictment,” deputy director of public prosecutions Eva-Marie Persson told reporters.

The investigation was launched after a Swedish woman who met Assange at a conference in Stockholm in August 2010 accused the Australian of having unprotected sex with her while she was sleeping. She said she had repeatedly refused to have unprotected sex with him. Assange has always denied the allegation.

“I want to stress that the plaintiff has given a credible and reliable account (of events). Her statement is clear, lengthy and detailed,” Persson said in a statement.

“But altogether, my assessment is that the evidence has weakened in such a way that there is no longer reason to continue the investigation.” Prosecutors had struggled for years to interrogate Assange in person.

“I have... determined that it cannot be proven that a crime has been committed. But it would be totally wrong of me to say that it is the plaintiff’s fault,” Persson said.

The 48-year-old WikiLeaks founder has been held at a top-security British prison since April after police dragged him out of the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he had been holed up since 2012 to avoid an extradition order to Sweden.He was subsequently sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions when he took refuge in the embassy.

Swedish authorities closed the rape investigation in 2017, saying it was not possible to proceed as Assange could not be reached. But the case was reopened following his arrest in London. In September, prosecutors said they had interviewed seven witnesses over the summer in a bid to move the inquiry forward.

The statute of limitations in the case expires in August 2020.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Elisabeth Massi Fritz, said that she and her client would consider whether to appeal the prosecutor’s decision.

“I, and all of the prosecutors who have worked on this case, have always considered the plaintiff credible and reliable. As is the case today. The plaintiff stands by her strong account,” she said.

“After today’s decision my client needs time to process everything that has happened over these nine years in order to be able to move on with her life.” Assange is also fighting a US bid to extradite him from Britain on charges filed under the Espionage Act that could see him given a sentence of up to 175 years in a US prison.

Most of those charges relate to obtaining and disseminating classified information over his website WikiLeaks publishing military documents and diplomatic cables.

WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson hailed the Swedish decision and said the US charges were Assange’s main concern.

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1517686/sweden-drops-rape-probe-against-assange.

 

[MenInG]

Julian Assange's lawyers will apply for his release on bail because of the risk of contracting coronavirus while in prison, Wikileaks said on Monday.

Reuters.

 

[sweep_shot]

I think Julian crossed the line. He was damaging Democrats while giving a free pass to Donald Trump.

He was basically Alt-Right in disguise.

 

[MenInG]

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been denied bail from a British prison after his lawyers said he was at particular risk of catching the new coronavirus.

Assange suffered several respiratory tract infections while in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, his defence said, and if he caught the virus in prison "the risk could be fatal".

But the judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court rejected the request, saying the Australian's past efforts to evade legal proceedings showed he might try to escape again if released.

"As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not as of itself provide grounds for Mr Assange's release," Judge Vanessa Baraitser said.

Currently in London's Belmarsh prison, Assange is wanted for questioning in the US for allegedly hacking and publishing military databases. The 48-year-old says the charges are politically motivated.

 

[Robert]

I think Julian crossed the line. He was damaging Democrats while giving a free pass to Donald Trump.

He was basically Alt-Right in disguise.

I wouldn't say that. I think he sees himself as a hero of liberty. But his leaks blew the covers of UK and USA intelligence operatives, and outed gays in certain oppressive regimes, endangering their lives. I think he is a well-meaning but naive man who has been a useful idiot for Russian intelligence and the American populist right.

 

[The Viper]

Assange fathered two children while holed up in embassy, lawyer says

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fathered two children with a lawyer who was representing him while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London fighting extradition, the lawyer told a British newspaper on Sunday.

The Mail on Sunday said 37-year-old South African lawyer Stella Morris has been engaged to Assange since 2017. The couple have two sons, aged 1 and 2, both conceived while Assange was in the embassy and kept secret from media covering his case and intelligence agencies monitoring his activity, the paper said.

It showed pictures of Assange with a baby, identified as the older son, who it said had been smuggled into the embassy to meet him. Both of the children are British citizens, it said. Assange had watched the births on a video link.

The Australian-born Assange was dragged out of the embassy last year after a seven-year standoff, and is now jailed in Britain fighting extradition to the United States on computer hacking and espionage charges. His supporters say the U.S. case against him is political and he cannot receive a fair trial.

Morris said she had chosen to speak out now because she was worried about his susceptibility to the coronavirus in jail.

“I love Julian deeply and I am looking forward to marrying him,” the paper quoted her as saying.

“Over the past five years I have discovered that love makes the most intolerable circumstances seem bearable but this is different – I am now terrified I will not see him alive again.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...holed-up-in-embassy-lawyer-says-idUSKCN21U0MB

 

[MenInG]

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sought to recruit hackers at conferences in Europe and Asia and conspired with members of hacking groups - including LulzSec and "Anonymous" - to obtain government secrets, the United States Justice Department has said.

The new allegations against Assange were outlined in an updated indictment on Wednesday.

The "superseding indictment" does not contain additional charges beyond the 18 counts the Justice Department unsealed last year. But prosecutors said it underscored Assange's efforts to procure and release classified information, allegations that form the basis of criminal charges he already faces.

Beyond recruiting hackers at the conference, the charging document accuses Assange of gaining unauthorised access to a government computer system of a NATO country in 2010. Two years later, he conspired with the leader of LulzSec and asked to be provided with documents and databases, the Justice Department said.

"In another communication, Assange told the LulzSec leader that the most impactful release of hacked materials would be from the CIA, NSA, or the New York Times," it said.

Assange also published on WikiLeaks emails from a data breach of a US intelligence community consulting company by a hacker affiliated with LulzSec and "Anonymous", it added.

The 48-year-old Assange was arrested last year after being evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and is at the centre of a continuing extradition tussle over whether he should be sent to the US.

'Abuse of
The Justice Department has already charged him with conspiring with former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in one of the largest compromises of classified information in US history. Prosecutors say the WikiLeaks founder damaged national security by publishing hundreds of thousands of classified documents, including diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that harmed the US and its allies and aided its adversaries.

Assange maintains he was acting as a journalist entitled to First Amendment protection. His lawyers have argued the US charges of espionage and computer misuse are politically motivated and an abuse of power.

Assange's lawyer, Barry Pollack, said in a statement that "the government's relentless pursuit of Julian Assange poses a grave threat to journalists everywhere and to the public's right to know."

"While today's superseding indictment is yet another chapter in the US Government's effort to persuade the public that its pursuit of Julian Assange is based on something other than his publication of newsworthy truthful information," he added, "the indictment continues to charge him with violating the Espionage Act based on WikiLeaks publications exposing war crimes committed by the US Government."

The allegations in the new indictment centre on conferences as far back as 2009, in locations including the Netherlands and Malaysia, at which prosecutors say he and a WikiLeaks associate sought to recruit hackers who could locate classified information, including material on a "Most Wanted Leaks" list posted on WikiLeaks' website.

According to the new indictment, he told would-be recruits that unless they were a member of the US military, they faced no legal liability for their actions.

At one conference in Malaysia, called the "Hack in the Box Security Conference", Assange told the audience, "I was a famous teenage hacker in Australia, and I've been reading generals' emails since I was 17."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ymous-affiliated-hackers-200625032710790.html

 

[Firebat]

Assange surprised by timing of new U.S. indictment

LONDON (Reuters) - Julian Assange’s lawyer said on Monday he was surprised U.S. authorities issued a new and wider indictment last week against the WikiLeaks founder whom they are seeking to extradite from Britain.

Assange is wanted by U.S. authorities to stand trial for 18 offences including conspiring to hack government computers and espionage. Last year, the United States began extradition proceedings after he was dragged from London’s Ecuadorean embassy where he had been holed up for almost seven years.

The U.S. Department for Justice issued a second, superseding indictment last week which, it said, contained no new charges but broadened “the scope of the conspiracy” and included accusations of recruiting hackers.

“We are to say the least surprised by the timing of this development,” Assange’s lawyer Mark Summers told a brief technical hearing at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, adding it could derail the timing for the case.

Assange’s full extradition hearing began in February but was interrupted by Britain’s coronavirus lockdown and is now scheduled to resume on Sept. 7.

Judge Vanessa Baraister said the case would “almost certainly” be now held at London’s Old Bailey criminal court.

Assange himself was again absent from Monday’s hearing and unable to appear by videolink from prison because of medical reasons, Summers said.

Baraitser said the prison had said Assange was not unwell but was choosing not to attend. She said his legal team needed to provide up-to-date medical information for the next hearing.

Summers said the medical issues related to Assange attending the court via an unventilated video booth. His lawyers say he has had past respiratory illnesses making him susceptible to COVID-19.

Assange, 48, an Australian, fears decades in prison if convicted in the United States and calls the case against him a threat to free speech. Washington says he put the lives of informants in danger by publishing secret diplomatic cables.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...by-timing-of-new-u-s-indictment-idUSKBN24019K

 

[MenInG]

Julian Assange has failed to get new allegations against him thrown out as he battles extradition to the US.

The WikiLeaks founder, 49, appeared at the Old Bailey in London after being held for months on remand at high-security Belmarsh Prison.

He was re-arrested in the court's cells on Monday over new charges contained in a US indictment.

It details a further 18 charges, lodged in June, which accuse him of plotting to hack computers and obtain and disclose national defence information.

https://news.sky.com/story/julian-a...ars-in-court-to-fight-us-extradition-12065979

 

[sweep_shot]

I generally support whistle blowers but Assange has crossed the line. His nonsense gave us Donald Trump.

He was mostly targeting Democrats. He was giving Trump a free pass.

A fair whistle blower would've targeted all parties.

 

[Firebat]

WikiLeaks' Assange was careful to protect informants, court hears

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange was careful to ensure that the names of informants in hundreds of thousands of leaked secret U.S. government documents were never published, his London extradition hearing was told on Wednesday.

Australian-born Assange, 49, is fighting against being sent to the United States, where he is charged with conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law over the release of confidential cables by WikiLeaks in 2010-2011.

A lawyer for the United States told the court last week that it was requesting Assange’s extradition over the publication of informants’ names, and not for handling leaked documents.

John Goetz, an investigative reporter who worked for Germany’s Spiegel magazine on the first publication of the documents, said the U.S. State Department had been involved in a conference call suggesting redactions, and WikiLeaks had agreed to hold back about 15,000 documents for publication.

“There was sensitivity and it was one of the things that was talked about all the time,” Goetz told the court. Assange was concerned that the media should take measures “so no one would be harmed”, he said.

Goetz said WikiLeaks was later frustrated when a password that allowed access to the full, unredacted material was published in a book by Guardian reporters in February 2011.

Assange made international headlines in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

Assange’s lawyers argue that he would not receive a fair trial in the United States and that the charges are politically motivated. They have also said he would be a suicide risk if sent to the United States, where they say he could be sentenced to 175 years in prison.

In 2012, Assange took refuge in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was accused of sex crimes, which he denied and which were later dropped.

After seven years, he was dragged from the embassy in 2019 and then jailed for skipping bail. He has remained in prison ever since, after the United States made its extradition request.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-protect-informants-court-hears-idUSKBN26725R

 

[Firebat]

Assange lawyer says she saw Trump ally offer to arrange pardon

LONDON (Reuters) - A lawyer for Julian Assange told a London court on Friday that she was present when an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump offered to arrange a pardon for the WikiLeaks founder in return for information that would “benefit President Trump politically”.

Australian-born Assange, 49, is fighting to avoid being sent to the United States, where he is charged with conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law over the release of confidential cables by WikiLeaks in 2010-2011.

His lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, said in a witness statement to the court that she observed a meeting at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2017 between Assange and Republican then-U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher.

She said Rohrabacher and an assistant offered to arrange a pardon for Assange in return for information about the hacking of Democratic emails before the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“They stated that President Trump was aware of and had approved of them coming to meet with Mr Assange to discuss a proposal – and that they would have an audience with the President to discuss the matter on their return to Washington DC,” she said.

“The proposal put forward by Congressman Rohrabacher was that Mr. Assange identify the source for the 2016 election publications in return for some form of pardon, assurance or agreement, which would both benefit President Trump politically and prevent U.S. indictment and extradition,” Robinson said.

Assange’s legal team first said at hearings in February that Rohrabacher had conveyed a pardon offer to Assange. At the time, the White House called the assertion that Trump had tried to reach a deal with Assange “a complete fabrication and a total lie”.

Rohrabacher said he had never spoken with the president about Assange, denied being sent on Trump’s behalf and said he was acting on his own when he offered to ask Trump for a pardon for Assange.

Robinson said Rohrabacher’s offer was presented to Assange as a “win-win” solution that would allow Assange “to get on with his life” and in return would also politically benefit Trump.

During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, WikiLeaks published a series of Democratic National Committee emails damaging to candidate Hillary Clinton. U.S. investigators have concluded that the emails were hacked by Russia as part of an effort to influence the election.

The 2016 election leaks are not directly a part of the U.S. criminal case against Assange, which covers secret military and diplomatic documents published by WikiLeaks several years earlier.

Russia has denied meddling in the 2016 election and Trump has denied that his campaign colluded with Moscow.

Assange is fighting the U.S. extradition request, arguing that the Trump administration has brought charges against him for political reasons.

In 2012, Assange took refuge in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was accused of sex crimes, which he denied and which were later dropped. After seven years, he was dragged from the embassy by British police in 2019.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...p-ally-offer-to-arrange-pardon-idUSKBN2691VWs

 

[Gabbar Singh]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Latest: Judge says Assange’s actions ‘took him outside’ investigative journalism role<a href="https://t.co/XFSSAgRJBQ">https://t.co/XFSSAgRJBQ</a></p>— The Independent (@Independent) <a href="https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1346041511230775299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

The West only cares about freedom of speech as long as it doesn't hurt their interests.

The case of Assange is a blot on the ideals of liberalism that they espouse with such arrogance.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wikileaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited from the UK to the US because of mental health concerns, court rules<a href="https://t.co/Q7K74t8ZUB">https://t.co/Q7K74t8ZUB</a></p>— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/1346051358303154176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the United States, a court in London has ruled.

The judge blocked the request because of concerns over Mr Assange's mental health and risk of suicide in the US.

The 49-year-old is wanted over the publication of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011.

The US claims the leaks broke the law and endangered lives. Mr Assange has fought the extradition and says the case is politically motivated.

The US authorities have said the decision will be appealed.

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that while US prosecutors met the tests for Mr Assange to be extradited for trial, the US was incapable of preventing him from attempting to take his own life.

She outlined evidence of his self harm and suicidal thoughts and said: "The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future."

She said: "Faced with the conditions of near total isolation without the protective factors which limited his risk at HMP Belmarsh, I am satisfied the procedures described by the US will not prevent Mr Assange from finding a way to commit suicide and for this reason I have decided extradition would be oppressive by reason of mental harm and I order his discharge."

 

[Firebat]

Julian Assange loses extradition bail bid

Julian Assange will remain in jail as he continues to fight against extradition to the USA.

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said there were substantial grounds to believe he would abscond.

On Monday, she ruled the Wikileaks founder cannot be extradited to the USA because he might kill himself.

The USA is now appealing that decision - and had opposed releasing the 49-year-old from a maximum security prison before the case is heard.

Mr Assange, who was wearing a dark suit and face mask, was not seen to react to the decision at Westminster Magistrates Court.

He's been held in prison since 2019, after hiding for seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition.

US prosecutors want to put him on trial for hacking and disclosing classified information - including the identities of informants who were helping intelligence agencies in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55562207

 

[MenInG]

LONDON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - WikiLeaks' Julian Assange on Friday moved a step closer to facing criminal charges in the United States for breaking spying law and conspiring to hack government computers after Washington won an appeal over his extradition in an English court.

U.S. authorities accuse Australian-born Assange, 50, of 18 counts relating to WikiLeaks’ release of vast troves of confidential U.S. military records and diplomatic cables which they said had put lives in danger.

His supporters cast Assange as an anti-establishment hero who has been victimised by the United States for exposing U.S. wrongdoing in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The United States won an appeal against a ruling by a London District Judge that Assange should not be extradited because he would likely commit suicide in a U.S. prison.

"The court allows the appeal," Judge Timothy Holroyde said.

The judge said he was satisfied with a package of assurances given by the United States about the conditions of Assange's detention including a pledge not to hold him in a so-called "ADX" maximum security prison in Colorado and that he would be transferred to Australia to serve his sentence if convicted.

But further hurdles remain before Assange can be sent to the United States: the legal wrangling is likely to go to the Supreme Court, the final court of appeal.

Assange's fiancée, Stella Moris, said his legal team would appeal the decision.

"How can it be fair, how can it be right, how can it be possible, to extradite Julian to the very country which plotted to kill him?" she said. "We will appeal this decision at the earliest possible moment."

Judge Holroyde said the case must now be remitted to Westminster Magistrates’ Court with the direction judges send it to the British government to decide whether or not Assange should be extradited.

Assange, who denies any wrongdoing, was not in court. He remains in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison, where he has been for more than two and a half years.

WikiLeaks came to prominence when it published a U.S. military video in 2010 showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. It then released thousands of secret classified files and diplomatic cables.

U.S. prosecutors and Western security officials regard Assange as a reckless and dangerous enemy of the state whose actions imperilled the lives of agents named in the leaked material.

His admirers have hailed Assange as a hero for exposing what they describe as abuse of power by modern states and for championing free speech.

 

[Robert]

I don’t understand why Assange is still in Belmarsh. He has served his sentence for avoiding arrest.

 

[Technics 1210]

I don’t understand why Assange is still in Belmarsh. He has served his sentence for avoiding arrest.

That's not the question though, the real question is why is he being extradited to Amreeka? For revealing the truth?

 

[Saj]

The Supreme Court has refused to allow Julian Assange latest appeal against extradition to the US.

A court spokesman said Mr Assange's application did not raise "an arguable point of law". The decision is a major blow to his hopes to avoid extradition.

The Wikileaks founder, 50, is wanted in the US over the publication thousands of classified files in 2010 and 2011.

His lawyers said he had not ruled out launching a final appeal.

The case will now go back down to District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, the original judge who assessed the US's extradition request.

Home Secretary Priti Patel is then expected to make a final decision. If she approves the extradition, that is the stage when Mr Assange could make his fresh challenge, said his lawyers Birnberg Peirce.

Mr Assange faces an 18-count indictment from the US government, accusing him of conspiring to hack into US military databases to acquire sensitive secret information relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which was then published on the Wikileaks website.

The Wikileaks documents revealed how the US military had killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents during the war in Afghanistan, while leaked Iraq war files showed 66,000 civilians had been killed, and prisoners tortured, by Iraqi forces.

The US says the leaks broke the law and endangered lives, but Mr Assange says the case is politically motivated.

BBC

 

[KingKhanWC]

The man should have been praised for exposing war crimes of US/Nato. Any real democracy would but Yanks want to keep their crimes secret.

I fear for the man, the will be tortured and treated badly when in the US.

 

[Technics 1210]

What a world we live in. A man who exposes the truth behind the illegality of the Iraq war and the subsequent killing of innocent victims by Amreekan forces is wanted by US authorities.

No such thing as free speech, but privileged speech

 

[Firebat]

Julian Assange's US extradition order sent to Priti Patel for final approval

Julian Assange's battle against extradition to the US is now heading to the home secretary for her final decision.

In a hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, the judge who oversees extradition requests authorised the case to be sent to Priti Patel.

The Wikileaks founder is expected to appeal to the High Court if she approves his extradition.

Mr Assange is wanted in the US over documents leaked in 2010 and 2011.

The Supreme Court ruled last month that Mr Assange's case raised no legal questions over assurances the US had given the UK over how he is likely to be treated.

Ms Patel must now decide whether the US's request for Mr Assange meets remaining legal tests - including a promise not to execute him.

Julian Assange's lawyer Mark Summers QC told chief magistrate Paul Goldspring that the home secretary would be receiving "serous submissions" on US sentencing law and practices.

"You, of course, have no option but to send this case to the Secretary of State," he said.

"It is not for me to raise fresh evidence [at this stage] even though there have been serious developments in this case."

Mr Assange spoke briefly on a video link from Belmarsh Prison during the seven-minute hearing, to confirm his name and date of birth and to acknowledge he understood what was happening.

"I am duty-bound to send your case to the Secretary of State for a decision on whether youdomi will be extradited," the judge told him.

"You have the right to appeal to the High Court and if you exercise your right to appeal it will not be heard until [Ms Patel] has made her decision."

Scores of people protesting against Mr Assange's extradition gathered outside the court, carrying placards reading "Don't extradite Assange".

The 50-year-old has been in prison since he was removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2019 and arrested by British police, after Ecuador withdrew his asylum status.

In May 2019, while serving a jail sentence in the UK for breaching bail, the US justice department filed 17 charges against Mr Assange for violating the Espionage Act - alleging that material obtained by Wikileaks endangered lives.

Mr Assange's legal team claimed that classified documents published by Wikileaks, which related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, exposed US wrongdoing and were in the public interest.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61162908

 

[MenInG]

The government has approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US, where he faces espionage charges.

The Home Office confirmed Home Secretary Priti Patel had signed the extradition order for the WikiLeaks founder.

Assange is wanted in the US over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information after WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

He has always denied any wrongdoing.

Assange has 14-days to appeal the decision and his legal team said they will be appealing.

"Today is not the end of the fight. It is only the beginning of a new legal battle. We will appeal through the legal system," WikiLeaks said in a statement.

"This is a dark day for press freedom and for British democracy.

"Anyone in this country who cares about freedom of expression should be deeply ashamed that the home secretary has approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States, the country that plotted his assassination".

Assange has been held in Belmarsh high-security prison since 2019 when he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he had taken refuge.

Originally a judge ruled that Assange should not be deported, saying his mental health problems would make him a suicide risk if convicted.

However, this decision was overturned on appeal.

In a statement, a Home Office spokesperson said: "On 17 June, following consideration by both the Magistrates Court and High Court, the extradition of Mr Julian Assange to the US was ordered.

"In this case, the UK courts have not found that it would be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process to extradite Mr Assange. Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health."

Amnesty International said the decision to extradite Assange "sends a chilling message to journalists".

In March, Assange married his partner, Stella Moris, after they were given permission to wed last year.

She was joined by the couple's sons Gabriel, four, and Max, two, and Assange's father and brother, Richard and Gabriel Shipton.

Mrs Assange said: "The home secretary has approved sending Julian to the country that planned to murder him. Julian has exposed US government criminality.

"The home secretary is condoning not only the criminality committed by the US government against Julian, but also those US government crimes exposed by WikiLeaks.

"Julian is a political prisoner. We will use every avenue to appeal this decision. I will dedicate every waking hour to fight for justice until he is free."

SKY

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Priti Patel should be the basis of the next Marvel heroine called Yesgirl. A battling brown femme fatale who signs off every order which her betters would rather avoid.

 

[ex-q-zit]

US Urged by Media Outlets to End Prosecution of Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange

The US should end its prosecution of Julian Assange, leading media outlets from the United States and Europe that had collaborated with the WikiLeaks founder said on Monday, citing press freedom concerns.

"This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America's First Amendment and the freedom of the press," editors and publishers of the Guardian, the New York Times, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El País said in an open letter.

Assange is wanted by US authorities on 18 counts, including a spying charge, related to WikiLeaks' release of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables. His supporters say he is an anti-establishment hero who has been victimized because he exposed US wrongdoing, including in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Monday marked twelve years since those media outlets collaborated to release excerpts from over 250,000 documents obtained by Assange in the so-called "Cablegate" leak.

The material was leaked to WikiLeaks by the then American soldier Chelsea Manning and revealed the inner workings of US*diplomacy around the globe. The documents exposed "corruption, diplomatic scandals and spy affairs on an international scale," the letter said.

In August, a group of journalists and lawyers sued the CIA and its former director Mike Pompeo over allegations the intelligence agency spied on them when they visited Assange during his stay in Ecuador's embassy in London.

Assange spent seven years in the embassy before being dragged out and jailed in 2019 for breaching bail conditions. He has remained in prison in London while his extradition case is decided. If extradited to the United States, he faces a sentence of up to 175 years in an American maximum security prison.

His legal team has appealed to the High Court in London to block his extradition in a legal battle that has dragged on for more than a decade.

"Publishing is not a crime," the media outlets said in their letter on Monday.

https://www.gadgets360.com/internet...a-outlets-urge-us-dangerous-precedent-3562444

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Let him watch the football!

 

[Robert]

I don’t understand why Assange is still in Belmarsh. He has served his sentence for avoiding arrest.

Another year rolls on and he is still there. Sentences can be extended by prison Governors but not by as much as this. He served his tariff and it’s illiberal to continue to detain him.

I suppose keeping him there is all that prevents USA from extraditing and putting him in supermax until he dies.

 

[Technics 1210]

Ladies and gentlemen, Julian Assange is an example of what Freedom of press really means in the West.

Toe the Western agenda, or be arrested and jailed for life. Russia doesn't hold a candle.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Another year rolls on and he is still there. Sentences can be extended by prison Governors but not by as much as this. He served his tariff and it’s illiberal to continue to detain him.

I suppose keeping him there is all that prevents USA from extraditing and putting him in supermax until he dies.

Ladies and gentlemen, Julian Assange is an example of what Freedom of press really means in the West.

Toe the Western agenda, or be arrested and jailed for life. Russia doesn't hold a candle.

This has been a significant moment in British history.

1. Now we know Britain's justice system is corrupt, thus no justice can be assured or anyone.

2. Freedom of press no longer exists.

3. Confirmation UK is a vassal/puppet state of US.

The man is a hero, its a crying shame only a small % of Brits are standing up for him.

 

[Robert]

This has been a significant moment in British history.

1. Now we know Britain's justice system is corrupt, thus no justice can be assured or anyone.

3. Confirmation UK is a vassal/puppet state of US.

If that were the case, Assange would have been extradited to USA already. While Home Secretary Javid signed the extradition order, A British judge has ruled that he is not well enough to travel.

But then why continue to confine him in a Cat-A beyond his tariff?

The irony is that, had he not avoided the European Arrest Warrant by hiding in the Embassy, he would have been extradited, tried, found guilty, served his sentence and been released. He’d be a free man now. A liberal in the WH commuted his alleged conspirator Manning’s sentence after all, so there is a legal precedent.

 

[Technics 1210]

Tried and found guilty in Sweden. )

Swedish authorities have discontinued an investigation into a rape allegation against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, after a review of the evidence.


==


Swedish authorities have discontinued an investigation into a rape allegation against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, after a review of the evidence.

The deputy chief prosecutor, Eva-Marie Persson, said the complainant’s evidence was deemed credible and reliable, but that after nearly a decade, witnesses’ memories had faded.

“After conducting a comprehensive assessment of what has emerged during the course of the preliminary investigation I then make the assessment that the evidence is not strong enough to form the basis for filing an indictment,” Persson said. An appeal against the decision could be made to the office of Sweden’s attorney general, she added.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/nov/19/sweden-drops-julian-assange-investigation

==

Assange was spot on, the rape allegations were nothing but false and a trap, he stood his ground, and was vindicated in 2019.

Manning was pardoned simply because he declared himself as a transexual, and pardoning him appeased the pride left LGBTQ voter bank.

US authorities can drop the extradition request right now, but no, they want to make an example of a journalist who dared to challenge the establishment.

 

[Technics 1210]

This has been a significant moment in British history.

1. Now we know Britain's justice system is corrupt, thus no justice can be assured or anyone.

2. Freedom of press no longer exists.

3. Confirmation UK is a vassal/puppet state of US.

The man is a hero, its a crying shame only a small % of Brits are standing up for him.

The reason a small percentage of Brits are standing up for him is simply because the majority of Brits do not give a damn about the innocent Iraqi/Afghani lives murdered by Amreeka.

If Assange released information on Russia, you can bet your life every Brit, and European, would be standing up for Assange.

 

[MenInG]

Tried and found guilty in Sweden. )

Swedish authorities have discontinued an investigation into a rape allegation against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, after a review of the evidence.


==


Swedish authorities have discontinued an investigation into a rape allegation against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, after a review of the evidence.

The deputy chief prosecutor, Eva-Marie Persson, said the complainant’s evidence was deemed credible and reliable, but that after nearly a decade, witnesses’ memories had faded.

“After conducting a comprehensive assessment of what has emerged during the course of the preliminary investigation I then make the assessment that the evidence is not strong enough to form the basis for filing an indictment,” Persson said. An appeal against the decision could be made to the office of Sweden’s attorney general, she added.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/nov/19/sweden-drops-julian-assange-investigation

==

Assange was spot on, the rape allegations were nothing but false and a trap, he stood his ground, and was vindicated in 2019.

Manning was pardoned simply because he declared himself as a transexual, and pardoning him appeased the pride left LGBTQ voter bank.

US authorities can drop the extradition request right now, but no, they want to make an example of a journalist who dared to challenge the establishment.

This article is from Nov 2019?

 

[Technics 1210]

This article is from Nov 2019?

Yes, that is the year when the rape allegations were dropped. Since then there is no arrest warrant by Swedish authorities, in fact the arrest warrant was cancelled in 2010! (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11049316), but he is still in prison awaiting extradition to the USA.

So all this talk of Assange should have faced trial in Sweden is pure rubbish, especially when one considers the false rape allegations and extradition request are 2 completely separate cases, where one has nothing to do with the other.

It is baffling to say the least that this so called 'liberal' nation (UK) cannot see through the trees and want Assange to be tried for a crime in Sweden when the allegations amd warrant were dropped years ago.

 

[Robert]

Assange could theoretically face a 175 year tariff in the US if found guilty of these alleged offences, but his alleged conspirator Chelsea Manning only served five years, so if he’d faced his accusers instead of bail-jumping his European Arrest Warrant, then in all likelihood he’d have been out of jail years ago and able to get on with his life. As is, he has used up ten years of life in captivity with no end in sight. Easier to have taken his punishment on the chin, done the time and gone home to his family.

Manning had Iraq service on the plus side of her ledger of course, which would have made it easier for Obama to decide to commute her sentence.

But I think Biden would have followed his old boss, especially to smooth AUKUS negotiations.