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Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47891737

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

Assange took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault case that has since been dropped.

At Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday he was found guilty of failing to surrender to the court.

He now faces US federal conspiracy charges related to one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets.

The UK will decide whether to extradite Assange, in response to allegations by the Department for Justice that he conspired with former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download classified databases.

He faces up to five years in US prison if convicted on the charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.

Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson said they would be fighting the extradition request. She said it set a "dangerous precedent" where any journalist could face US charges for "publishing truthful information about the United States".

She said she had visited Assange in the police cells where he thanked supporters and said: "I told you so."

Assange had predicted that he would face extradition to the US if he left the embassy.

After his arrest, the 47-year-old Australian national was initially taken to a central London police station before appearing in court.

Dressed in a black suit and black polo shirt, he waved to the public gallery and gave a thumbs up. He pleaded not guilty to the 2012 charge of failing to surrender to the court.

Finding him guilty of that charge, District Judge Michael Snow said Assange's behaviour was "the behaviour of a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish interest".

He sent him to Southwark Crown Court for sentencing, where he faces up to 12 months in prison.

The court also heard that during his arrest at the embassy he had to be restrained and shouted: "This is unlawful, I am not leaving."

Julian Assange pictured in a police van

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Why does the US government want to extradite Assange?

Assange set up Wikileaks in 2006 with the aim of obtaining and publishing confidential documents and images.

The organisation hit the headlines four years later when it released footage of US soldiers killing civilians from a helicopter in Iraq.

Former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning was arrested in 2010 for disclosing more than 700,000 confidential documents, videos and diplomatic cables to the anti-secrecy website.

 

What are the US charges against him?

The indictment against Assange, issued last year in the state of Virginia, alleges that he conspired in 2010 with Manning to access classified information on Department of Defense computers. He faces up to five years in jail.

Manning downloaded four databases from US departments and agencies between January and May 2010, the indictment says. This information, much of which was classified, was provided to Wikileaks.

The US Justice Department described it as "one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States".

Cracking a password stored on the computers, the indictment alleges, would have allowed Manning to log on to them in such a way as to make it harder for investigators to determine the source of the disclosures. It is unclear whether the password was actually broken.

Correspondents say the narrowness of the charge seems intended to avoid falling foul of the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press.

Why did the Ecuadorian embassy stop protecting him?

The Wikileaks co-founder had been in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, after seeking asylum there to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation.

The investigation into the alleged rape, which he denied, was later dropped because he had evaded the arrest warrant. The Swedish Prosecution Authority has said it is now considering whether to resume the inquiry before the statute of limitations runs out in August 2020.

Scotland Yard said it was invited into the embassy on Thursday by the ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum.

Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno said the country had "reached its limit on the behaviour of Mr Assange".

Mr Moreno said: "The most recent incident occurred in January 2019, when Wikileaks leaked Vatican documents.

"This and other publications have confirmed the world's suspicion that Mr Assange is still linked to WikiLeaks and therefore involved in interfering in internal affairs of other states."

His accusations against Assange also included blocking security cameras at the embassy, accessing security files and confronting guards.

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How have people reacted?

Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons: "This goes to show that in the UK, no one is above the law."

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the arrest was the result of "years of careful diplomacy" and that it was "not acceptable" for someone to "escape facing justice".

How have people reacted?

Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons: "This goes to show that in the UK, no one is above the law."

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the arrest was the result of "years of careful diplomacy" and that it was "not acceptable" for someone to "escape facing justice".

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that Assange had revealed "evidence of atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan" and his extradition "should be opposed by the British government".

Press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders said that the UK should resist extradition, because it would "set a dangerous precedent for journalists, whistleblowers, and other journalistic sources that the US may wish to pursue in the future".

Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne said he would continue to receive "the usual consular support" and that consular officers will try to visit him.

And actress Pamela Anderson, who has visited the embassy to support Assange, said the arrest was a "vile injustice".

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1 hour ago, Magician said:

 

 

Wow, I didn’t even know she is so political. But good for her, it’s time for everyone to make up their minds. 

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8 hours ago, Magician said:

 

 

You go Pam!

Assange has an awful personality, but I support anyone who helps reveal the extent of the bullshit corruption going on, and yes, that includes war-mongering crooked Clinton.

 

 

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Julian Assange is a sexual predator.

He's no difference from Roman Polanski.

Why Ecuador ended asylum for 'spoiled brat' Julian Assange

Ecudaor, which prides itself on its hospitality and spent almost $1 million a year protecting the WikiLeaks founder, saw his behavior as a national insult.


April 12, 2019, 4:54 PM MPST / Updated April 12, 2019, 7:17 PM MPST

By Associated Press

QUITO, Ecuador — The dramatic end to Julian Assange's asylum has sparked curiosity about his seven-year stay inside Ecuador's Embassy in London that was marked by his late-night skateboarding, the physical harassment of his caretakers and even the smearing of his own fecal matter on the walls of the diplomatic mission.

It would've tested the patience of any host. But for tiny Ecuador, which prides itself on its hospitality and spent almost $1 million a year protecting Assange, it was also seen as a national insult.

"We've ended the asylum of this spoiled brat," a visibly flustered President Lenin Moreno said Thursday in a fiery speech explaining his decision to withdraw protection of Assange and hand him over to British police. "From now on we'll be more careful in giving asylum to people who are really worth it, and not miserable hackers whose only goal is to destabilize governments."

Others, including former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who granted Assange asylum in 2012, said that while Assange violated the terms of his asylum and was a burden on Ecuador "that's no excuse for throwing him to the lions."

Ecuador emerged as a haven for the WikiLeaks founder in 2012 as his legal options to evade extradition to Sweden over sex crime accusations dried up in the United Kingdom. On a June day, he moved into the country's embassy near the upscale Harrods department store for what most thought would be a short stay.

Instead, the cramped quarters, where a small office was converted into a bedroom, became a permanent address that some likened to a de facto jail.

As the asylum dragged on, his relations with his hosts soured and his behavior became more erratic. Embassy staff complained of him skateboarding at night, playing loud music and walking around in his underwear with no apparent concern for others in the tiny embassy.

One senior Ecuadorian official described his room as a "sovereign territory within a sovereign territory" that none of the staff at No. 3 Hans Crescent could enter. But the stench from going weeks without a shower, and dental problem born of poor hygiene, was a constant nuisance, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he isn't authorized to discuss details of Assange's behavior.

Then there was the issue of Assange's poop, which authorities said he spread across embassy walls on at least one occasion in an act of open defiance showing how little he thought of his hosts.

"When you're given shelter, cared for and provided food, you don't denounce the owner of the house," Moreno said Thursday to applause.

Within months of taking office in 2017, Moreno's government scolded Assange again for meddling in international affairs by voicing his support for Catalan secessionists from the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Relations grew so prickly that last year Ecuador increased its restrictions on his Internet access and required him to clean up after his cat James. The rules said that if the feline wasn't properly fed and cleaned up after, it would be sent to the pound.

Assange tried challenging the restrictions in Ecuadorian court, to no avail.

More recently, as the feuding became more public, he started physically and verbally harassing his caretakers, accusing them of being U.S. spies looking to exchange information on WikiLeaks in exchange for debt relief for Ecuador.

Foreign Minister Jose Valencia said in an audio recording a few months ago captured a moment when Assange threatened Ambassador Jaime Merchan with pressing something of a panic button that he said would bring devastating consequences for the Embassy in the event of his arrest. Although it wasn't clear what he meant by the threat, authorities shared their concerns with British authorities and in carrying out the raid Thursday were careful to prevent Assange from returning to his room to execute any possible emergency plans.

The final straw for Moreno was WikiLeaks' decision to spread information about a purported offshore account controlled by the president's brother. Personal photographs of Moreno lying in bed, as well as images of close family members dancing, were also leaked, further incensing him.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/why-ecuador-ended-asylum-spoiled-brat-julian-assange-n993711

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20 hours ago, Lolo said:

Wow, I didn’t even know she is so political. But good for her, it’s time for everyone to make up their minds. 

 

12 hours ago, Kim said:

You go Pam!

Assange has an awful personality, but I support anyone who helps reveal the extent of the bullshit corruption going on, and yes, that includes war-mongering crooked Clinton.

 

 

Pamela is very political now.  I have seen her on a few Australian current affair shows and she spoke well,  was up to date on everything and eloquent with it.  She has called out our useless Australian PM Scott Morrison too.  She said that the girl running in the red bathing suit and posing for glamour shots was an integral part of who she was and what made her famous but is not what she is now.  She was very passionate about animal rights and politics.  She has become friends with Julian Assange and has campaigned a lot for him. 

Agree too Kim with your views on this.  Julian has got a truly horrendous personality - arrogant and obnoxious - but I never agree with jailing people for whistle blowing. It is an important tool to exposing truth and lies. 

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17 hours ago, VogueMusic said:

Does she not realize this man's actions essentially helped Trump get elected...

VogueMusic,  I bet WikiLeaks will expose Trump for who he is.  Don't worry,  Trump's time is coming.  That Mueller report needs to get leaked in it's entirely and as quick as possible.  Trump is as usual playing dumb pretending that he does not know much about WikiLeaks when asked about Assange's arrest - but everyone and their dog knows he was crowing about WikiLeaks previously.  It is staggering how Trump can just lie so openly about everything and not even care.   Can't wait until he is completely exposed as the corrupt evil buffoon he is.  Don't care who does it but the corruption around Trump is more than obvious.  

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Whistle blower doesn't mean he's exempted from any sex crime that he committed aside from exposing the ugly truth about the government or politician. 

If he can be excused for rape, so can Harvey Weinstein/Kevin Spacey/Roman Polanski etc.

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6 hours ago, Jazzy Jan said:

VogueMusic,  I bet WikiLeaks will expose Trump for who he is.  Don't worry,  Trump's time is coming.  That Mueller report needs to get leaked in it's entirely and as quick as possible.  Trump is as usual playing dumb pretending that he does not know much about WikiLeaks when asked about Assange's arrest - but everyone and their dog knows he was crowing about WikiLeaks previously.  It is staggering how Trump can just lie so openly about everything and not even care.   Can't wait until he is completely exposed as the corrupt evil buffoon he is.  Don't care who does it but the corruption around Trump is more than obvious.  

This is a fascinating thing about Trump. We know he was dishonest and deceitful through his entire campaign, kept dodging questions, refused to provide normal information and so on. This was well documented basically right from the start of his campaign. And yet his followers kept this idea that he was more honest until the end and to some extent even now. 

It looks like he knew how to engineer himself for this perfectly. He is impolite, which too many people assume is the same as being straightforward. He describes problems and solutions in the most simplistic terms, and manages to sell that as if his oversimplification were the truth and the people who pointed out the complexities of the real world were deluded or lying.

Oh, and he wasn’t afraid to be openly bigoted; and while that doesn’t mean all his voters were bigots themselves, it certainly allowed bigots to believe that „someone is finally saying it like it is“.

The way he managed to portray himself as honest while being a compulsive liar is frankly just amazing to watch.

Anyway, since most of his followers don’t care about him being honest, just appearing honest (meaning openly showing the same prejudices as them), proof of his dishonesty is unlikely to affect him in any way.

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5 hours ago, horn said:

Whistle blower doesn't mean he's exempted from any sex crime that he committed aside from exposing the ugly truth about the government or politician. 

 

Yes,  agree with you Horn.   However,  didn't Sweden drop the charges ?  If the charges are still open, he should be forced to go to Sweden,  not the USA and fight the charges there. 

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2 hours ago, Jazzy Jan said:

Yes,  agree with you Horn.   However,  didn't Sweden drop the charges ?  If the charges are still open, he should be forced to go to Sweden,  not the USA and fight the charges there. 

Jan, I'm surprised you have decided to turn a blind eye.

Don't tell me you didn't google why the Swedish dropped the charges?

Quote

In 2015, the statute of limitations on Ardin’s (Rape victim) allegation expired. And in 2017, Swedish authorities dropped their investigation into Miss W’s claim because they saw no way to proceed while Assange was in the embassy.

https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/4/12/18306901/julian-assange-arrest-wikileaks-rape-sweden-embassy

One of the victim was attacked by Julian Assange's mother & supporters just because she had decided to speak out.

Does it sound familiar? MJ's supporters accusing paedophile victims for making up sexual allegation all over again.

MJ is a legendary superstar

Julian Assange is the whistle blower

How could they hurt anyone when look so good?

 

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57 minutes ago, Jazzy Jan said:

If anyone is interested,  this was a great movie made about Julian Assange's start as a political hacker in Melbourne.   

 

As usual, movie makers try to make hacker looks good/innocent/kind/hero, and indirectly sent a message to all that "it's ok to be a hacker".

 

 

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2 minutes ago, horn said:

As usual, movie makers try to make hacker looks good/innocent/kind/hero, and indirectly sent a message to all that "it's ok to be a hacker".

 

 

The movie didn't make him look good or kind. It was simply a movie about his early life and his upbringing. Explaining how be become a hacker and his influences.  I didn't find him likeable in the movie.  Definitely don't find him likeable now. 

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We may not like Assange, but he has done us all a favour. Silence may be golden at times, perhaps when the children are misbehaving, but silence must not be maintained when adults, particularly those in authority, suppress the truth or engineer lies to look like truth.

I have in mind the whole Brexit affair from its very beginning to its present phase, and the facts, figures and analysis by government which was withheld from the public with likely intent to deceive.

We may not like Assange, he may be a deeply flawed person (but then we may all be), he may well be a narassist (the magistrate should never have called him that), but he informed us about the mischief governments and others intentionally get up to in order to deceive the public. Democracy only works through fair disclosure.

Of course, while I acknowledge the contribution Assange has made to uncovering many of the things governments want to hide from us, I did not comment on the legality or the ethics of accessing such information. This is itself a long debate. It is about ethics and expediency. When is it in the public interest for hidden information to be revealed via illegal acts such as hacking? I suspect that there would be a variety of answers depending on whether you are a Home Secretary or a citizen whose safety or human rights might be impacted by non disclosure or secrecy.

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