Julian Assange Makes Statement on Balcony of Ecuadorean Embassy
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, gave a dramatic statement from the Ecuadorian embassy in London today as he condemned his persecution and attempts to silence whistleblowers.


In a defiant statement from the Ecuadorian embassy’s ground floor balcony, 41 year-old Assange praised the nation of Ecuador for taking a "stand for justice" in giving him political asylum.

Addressing hundreds of loyal supporters outside the central London building this afternoon, the former computer hacker suggested there was “unity in oppression”.

He urged the American government “renounce its witch hunt against Wikileaks” and stop its “war on whistleblowers”.

He also thanked other helpful South American nations and supporters around the world, plus his family including his children "who have been denied their father".

He said: "Forgive me, we will be reunited soon." » | Andrew Hough, at the Ecuadorean embassy | Sunday, August 19, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Ecuadorian embassy statement in full »

Julian Assange to Issue Statement 'In Front' of Embassy Haven
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Julian Assange faces arrest if he leaves his haven in the Ecudorean embassy in London to issue a statement on Sunday.

The WikiLeaks founder was granted political asylum by the Latin Americans after its ministers agreed he was facing persecution and the possible death penalty in America. But he remains holed up in the embassy in Knightsbridge, surrounded by police who want to arrest him for breaching his bail conditions.

Last night WikiLeaks said he would give a "live" statement "in front of" the embassy on Sunday, two months since he entered it. He could be seized if it is deemed he has stepped outside the building's diplomatically protected zone.

Despite his delight at being granted asylum on Thursday, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said the maverick Australian would not be allowed to fly to his newly adopted country and must instead answer rape allegations in Sweden.

It sets the scene for a diplomatic stalemate between London, which said it was “disappointed” by the long-awaited decision, and Quito, which has accused Britain of threatening to storm the building to seize Mr Assange. » | Martin Beckford, and Rosa Silverman | Thursday, August 16, 2012

Julian Assange Asylum: Ecuador Is Right to Stand Up To the US

THE GUARDIAN: The United States would paint itself as a promoter of human rights, but any right to make that claim is long gone

Ecuador has now made its decision: to grant political asylum to Julian Assange. This comes in the wake of an incident that should dispel remaining doubts about the motives behind the UK/Swedish attempts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. On Wednesday, the UK government made an unprecedented threat to invade Ecuador's embassy if Assange is not handed over. Such an assault would be so extreme in violating international law and diplomatic conventions that it is difficult to even find an example of a democratic government even making such a threat, let alone carrying it out.

When Ecuadorian foreign minister Ricardo Patiño, in an angry and defiant response, released the written threats to the public, the UK government tried to backtrack and say it wasn't a threat to invade the embassy (which is another country's sovereign territory). But what else can we possibly make of this wording from a letter delivered by a British official?

"You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy. We sincerely hope that we do not reach that point, but if you are not capable of resolving this matter of Mr Assange's presence in your premises, this is an open option for us."

Is there anyone in their [his] right mind who believes that the UK government would make such an unprecedented threat if this were just about an ordinary foreign citizen wanted for questioning – not criminal charges or a trial – by a foreign government?

Ecuador's decision to grant political asylum to Assange was both predictable and reasonable. But it is also a ground-breaking case that has considerable historic significance. » | Mark Weisbrot | Thursday, August 16, 2012

Julian Assange Can Be Arrested in Ecuador Embassy, UK Warns
THE GUARDIAN: Ahead of decision on WikiLeaks founder's asylum claim, Quito accuses Britain of threat to trample international law

The diplomatic and political minefield that is the fate of Julian Assange is expected to come a step closer to being traversed when Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, gives his decision on whether his country will grant the WikiLeaks' founder asylum around lunchtime on Thursday.

The decision – if it comes – will mark the end of a turbulent process that on Wednesday night saw Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, raging against perceived threats from Britain to "storm" the embassy and warning that such a "dangerous precedent" would be met with "appropriate responses in accordance with international law".

The dramatic development came two months after Assange suddenly walked into the embassy in a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Patiño released details of a letter he said was delivered through a British embassy official in Quito, the capital of the South American country.

The letter said: "You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy."

It added: "We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations."

On Wednesday night appeals were tweeted for Assange supporters to occupy the embassy to prevent British police from arresting him, and while there was a police presence outside the embassy, Scotland Yard insisted that officers were simply there to "police the embassy like any other embassy".

Patiño said he was "deeply shocked" by the diplomatic letter. Speaking to reporters later, he said: "The government of Ecuador is considering a request for asylum and has carried out diplomatic talks with the governments of the United Kingdom and Sweden. However, today we received from the United Kingdom a written threat that they could attack our embassy in London if Ecuador does not give up Julian Assange. » | Damien Pearse | Thursday, August 16, 2012

Julian Assange Will Be Granted Asylum, Says Official

THE GUARDIAN: Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has agreed to give the WikiLeaks founder asylum, according to an official in Quito

Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has agreed to give Julian Assangeasylum, officials within Ecuador's government have said.

The WikiLeaks founder has been holed up at Ecuador's London embassy since 19 June, when he officially requested political asylum.

"Ecuador will grant asylum to Julian Assange," said an official in the Ecuadorean capital Quito, who is familiar with the government discussions.

On Monday, Correa told state-run ECTV that he would decide this week whether to grant asylum to Assange. Correa said a large amount of material about international law had to be examined to make a responsible informed decision.

Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patiño indicated that the president would reveal his answer once the Olympic Games were over. But it remains unclear if giving Assange asylum will allow him to leave Britain and fly to Ecuador, or amounts to little more than a symbolic gesture. At the moment he faces the prospect of arrest as soon as he leaves the embassy for breaching his bail conditions.

"For Mr Assange to leave England, he should have a safe pass from the British [government]. Will that be possible? That's an issue we have to take into account," Patino told Reuters on Tuesday. » | Irene Caselli in Quito | Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Mother of Julian Assange Meets with Ecuadoran President
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange met with Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa on Wednesday to discuss the fate of her son holed up at the country's embassy in Britain.

Assange, 41, is seeking asylum in the South American nation to avoid his extradition to Sweden, where he is accused of sexual assault.

"The important thing is for Julian to be assured that Ecuador is considering with great responsibility" his request, the president told Assange's mother, Christine Assange, during their hour-long meeting.

Mr Correa said his country has a "great humanist tradition and respect for human rights."

He added that he respects Britain, Sweden, and the people of the United States, and that the matter bears consultation, but that, ultimately, "Ecuador does not negotiate over its sovereignty."

Meanwhile, Assange told AFP that based on "a chronological history of the Swedish investigations and based on the fact, there is absolutely no doubt" the charges against her son are part of a political persecution against him. » | Source: agencies | Thursday, August 02, 2012

Ecuador Seeks to Stop 'Evil' of Julian Assange US Extradition

THE GUARDIAN: Ecuadorean diplomats seek UK assurances that WikiLeaks founder will not be extradited to US after proceedings in Sweden

The Ecuadorean government is seeking to avert the "evil" of the extradition of Julian Assange to the US, according to a senior legal adviser to the country's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has sought sanctuary with a view to claiming asylum.

Diplomats for the small Latin American country said they had been seeking assurances from the UK that Assange would not be extradited to the US after the completion of legal proceedings in Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault.

Lawyers for Assange, who has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy for five weeks, believe there are secret plans to extradite him to the US to face trial, possibly for conspiracy to commit espionage. If found guilty, the 40-year-old could face life imprisonment.

Two officials at the Ecuadorean embassy said it had been seeking assurances from both the UK and Sweden that Assange would not be eventually sent to the US, but had received no answer. They saidEcuador would now formally ask the US if there were any legal proceedings against Assange or "an investigation which has identified him as a target and which may result in a later extradition request".

The senior legal adviser said: "In legal terms … the evil that Ecuador wishes to prevent is the extradition [of Assange] to the US. Now if there are ways and means of that being tied down, I think that would be a just solution." » | Paul Lewis | Thursday, July 26, 2012

Julian Assange: Ecuadorean Ambassador Flies Home for Talks on WikiLeaks Founder
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Ecuadorean ambassador is expected to fly to her nation's capital this weekend for talks on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's request for asylum.

Mr Assange has been at the Ecuadorean embassy in London since Tuesday and is seeking political asylum in the country to prevent him being extradited to Sweden.

The 40-year-old Australian faces allegations of sex crimes in the Scandinavian country, which he denies.

Ecuadorean ambassador to Britain Anna Alban, who met with the British government on Wednesday morning, is due to fly back to her home country to discuss the matter in Quito.

A spokesman at the embassy would not officially confirm the visit "until she is on the plane". » | Saturday, June 23, 2012

Jemima Khan 'Would Like to See Julian Assange Confront Rape Allegations'
THE GUARDIAN: Socialite who donated to WikiLeaks founder's bail money also defends him over fears of extradition to US

One of Julian Assange's most prominent supporters, Jemima Khan, has said she would like to see the WikiLeaks founder, who has made an asylum bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, confront the rape allegations made against him by two Swedish women.

The socialite and charity fundraiser, who faces losing the £20,000 she put towards his bail money after Assange took refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London and sought political asylum, said on Twitter that the women deserved a response to their allegations.

She wrote: "For the record, in response to those asking about Assange & bail money.... I personally would like to see Assange confront the rape allegations in Sweden and the 2 women at the centre have a right to a response."

But Khan, one of several high-profile celebrities and activists who have supported Assange since his arrest in December 2010, said she also believed Assange was justified over his fears of being extradited to the US if he goes to Sweden.

"[T]here is no doubt that Assange has a real fear of being extradited to the US nor that the US gov is out to get WikiLeaks," she tweeted. » | David Batty | Friday, June 22, 2012

Related »

Julian Assange Has 'No Idea' If Asylum Bid Will Succeed
THE GUARDIAN: WikiLeaks founder uses Australian radio interview to highlight US attempts to draw up charges against him

Julian Assange has admitted that he has no idea whether his bid for political asylum in Ecuador to avoid extradition to Sweden will be successful.

The WikiLeaks founder, who has sought refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he did not know when a decision on his asylum request would be made.

His comments came as one of his most prominent supporters, Jemima Khan, said she would like to see him confront the rape allegations made against him by two Swedish women.

Khan, who faces losing the £20,000 she put towards his bail, said on Twitter that the two women "have a right to a response".

But Assange said his asylum bid had highlighted what he insists are attempts by the US government to draw up charges against him for leaking hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents via WikiLeaks.

"The department of justice in the United States has been playing a little game, and that little game is that they refuse to confirm or deny the existence of a grand jury," Assange said in a phone interview with ABC radio. "We are hoping what I am doing now will draw attention to the underlying issues." » | David Batty | Friday, June 22, 2012


Related »

UK Police Say WikiLeaks Founder Faces Arrest
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is facing arrest for a breach of his bail conditions after taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange is been battling against attempts by Sweden to extradite him on allegations of sex assault since the end of 2010. He appeared at the embassy on Tuesday seeking asylum.

Related »

Julian Assange Seeking Asylum in Ecuadorian Embassy in London
THE GUARDIAN: WikiLeaks founder walked into the embassy and asked for asylum under the United Nations human rights declaration

The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, sparking a new crisis in the tortured history of his extradition to Sweden.

Assange walked into the embassy in Knightsbridge and asked for asylum under the UN human rights declaration. He said: "I can confirm I arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy and sought diplomatic sanctuary and political asylum.

"This application has been passed to the ministry of foreign affairs in the capital Quito. I am grateful to the Ecuadorian ambassador and the government of Ecuador for considering my application."

The dramatic move follows a long-running legal bid by the whistleblower to halt his extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crime allegations. Assange is currently on £240,000 police bail, and had been living with friends, a number of whom put together the bail payment.

An embassy statement said: "This afternoon Mr Julian Assange arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy seeking political asylum from the Ecuadorian government. We have immediately passed his application on to the relevant department in Quito. While the department assesses Mr Assange's application, Mr Assange will remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorian government."

"The decision to consider Mr Assange's application for protective asylum should in no way be interpreted as Ecuador interfering in the judicial processes of either the United Kingdom or Sweden." » | Beatrice Woolf | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Legal crisis over Julian Assange's asylum request: Decision by WikiLeaks founder to seek political asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy throws legal process into turmoil » | Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

EL TELÉGRAFO: Julian Assange pide asilo político a Ecuador: En su solicitud, el periodista australiano argumenta que requiere asilo "ante una lamentable declaración efectiva de abandono" recibida por las autoridades de su país. » | Martes 19 de Junio del 2012

UK's Highest Court Rejects Julian Assange Appeal against Extradition to Sweden
THE INDEPENDENT: The UK's highest court has rejected a move by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to reopen his appeal against his extradition to Sweden where he faces sex crime allegations.

The announcement was made today by the Supreme Court.

It said in a statement that the required period for extradition "shall not commence until the 14th day after today".

Seven Supreme Court justices unanimously dismissed the move as being "without merit". » | Cathy Gordon | Thursday, June 14, 2012

Julian Assange's Supporters and Lawyer React to Extradition Verdict
Julian Assange's supporters and lawyer say they are disappointed that the WikiLeaks founder lost his case against being extradited to Sweden. The verdict was given at the supreme court on Wednesday. Assange's lawyers have been given 14 days to consider whether to challenge a central point of the judgment on the correct interpretation of international treaties

THE GUARDIAN: Julian Assange given 14 days to challenge extradition ruling: Despite losing the appeal, Assange's lawyers are given time to consider a challenge to the judgment » | Owen Bowcott and Esther Addley | Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Related »

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange to Be Extradited to Sweden over Sex Crime Allegations
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lost his latest attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations, but the case could yet be reopened on a rare technicality.

Read the article here | Martin Beckford, Home Affairs Editor | Wednesday, May 30, 2012