WikiLeaks Julian Assange granted asylum
Ryan Martin / 12 years ago
The Ecuadorian government has finally agreed to give WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asylum after he has been shacking up in the Ecuadorian embassy for weeks on end. However, for Assange to get to Ecuador he has to find a way to reach the U.K airport without having his feet touch U.K soil.
Assange is awaiting U.K extradition to Sweden on rape and assault charges – charges that are believed by some to be fabricated. His escape to the Ecuadorian embassy in London broke the conditions of his U.K bail. Due to the high profile nature of the case, and “Uncle Sam” pulling a few strings, there’s no way Assange to get to a U.K airport without being forced to touch U.K soil and then face arrest. Arrest would almost certainly lead to extradition to Sweden where he would probably be tried of rape and assault charges, be found innocent, and then be extradited off to the U.S.A for charges over hacking and releasing government sensitive data.
“Wikileaks condemns in the strongest possible terms the UK’s resort to intimidation. A threat of this nature is a hostile and extreme act, which is not proportionate to the circumstances, and an unprecedented assault on the rights of asylum seekers worldwide,” Wikileaks stated on its website.
Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, reportedly discussed Assange’s extradition with U.K officials, but the two sides were unable to come to an agreement. The disagreement mainly involved the U.K’s inability to promise that Assange won’t be extradited to the U.S. after his trials in Sweden.
