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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has spoken for the first time since seeking asylum two months ago in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
Assange appeared on the balcony of the embassy and read a prepared statement. The appearance lasted nine minutes. He called on the United States to “do the right thing” and end its “war on whistleblowers”. [Read more…]
Ecuador has agreed to grant asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
Assange is an Australian citizen. He has been in Ecuador’s London embassy for the past two months since seeking asylum shortly after English courts ordered his extradition to Sweden to face sex charges.
Ecuador has issued a statement of reasons for their decision. British Foreign Secretary William Hague has also made a statement on the asylum decision.
This is Ecuador’s Foreign Minister, Ricardo Patino, explaining the decision to grant asylum:
Statement from Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Integration. (Google Translation)
Declaration by the Government of the Republic of Ecuador on the asylum application Assange
On June 19, 2012, the Australian national citizen Julian Assange, appeared at the premises of the Embassy of Ecuador in London, to request diplomatic protection of the Ecuadorian State to benefit from the existing rules on Diplomatic Asylum. The applicant has based its request on the fear that the eventual results might suffer political persecution in a third country, it could use his extradition to the Kingdom of Sweden to get to turn the subsequent extradition to that country.
The Government of Ecuador, faithful to the asylum procedure and attach the utmost seriousness in this case, has reviewed and evaluated all aspects involved in it, particularly the arguments presented by Mr. Assange to support the fear they feel about a situation that this person perceives as a threat to life, personal safety and freedom.
It is important to note that Mr. Assange has taken the decision to seek asylum and protection of Ecuador over allegations that it says, have been made ??by alleged “espionage and treason”, which exposes the citizen who inspires fear the possibility of being handed over to the United States of America by the British, Swedish or Australian, for he is a country, said Mr. Assange, chasing him because of the declassification of information embarrassing to the U.S. Government. Is also the applicant, that “a victim of persecution in various countries, which derives not only from their ideas and actions, but of their work to publish information which compromises the powerful, to publish the truth and, Therefore, exposing corruption and severe human rights abuses of citizens around the world.” [Read more…]
Julian Assange has lodged an application in the Supreme Court of the UK to set aside the judgment validating an arrest warrant that enabled his extradition to Sweden.
This is the text of a statement by Thomas Blanton, Director, National Security Archive, George Washington University.
Blanton appeared before the House Judiciary Committee’s Hearing on the Espionage Act and the Legal and Constitutional Implications of Wikileaks. [Read more…]