Ecuador is preparing to hand over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the UK in “coming weeks or even days,” RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan reported, as political support and sympathy for Assange’s predicament have more or less evaporated since the arrival of an administration that largely views Assange as an inherited problem, and would like more than anything to finally be rid of him. “My sources tell [Julian] Assange will be handed over to Britain in the coming weeks or even days,” Simonyan wrote in a recent tweet which was reposted by WikiLeaks. “Like never before, I wish my sources were wrong,” she continued.
Editor-in-chief of RT: "My sources tell me that @JulianAssange will be handed over to the #UK in the next weeks or days. Like never before I wish that my sources are wrong'' https://t.co/rvN3ne3ifd
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 20, 2018
Earlier this week, reports surfaced in the UK media that high level talks were happening between UK and Ecuadorian officials to try and remove Assange from the embassy.
Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan is said to be spearheading the diplomatic effort. Sources close to Assange said he himself was not aware of the talks but believed that America was putting “significant pressure” on Ecuador, including threatening to block an IMF loan, if he continues to stay at the embassy. The Times report comes just weeks before a visit to the UK by the newly-elected Ecuadorian president, Lenin Moreno, who has labeled Assange a “hacker”, “an inherited problem” and a “stone in the shoe.”
Hostilities to Assange’s presence in the embassy have been climbing for weeks. In late March of this year, the Ecuadorian government suspended Assange’s communication privileges with the outside world and cutting off his Internet access. That crackdown followed Assange’s decision to speak out about the Spanish government’s treatment of the Catalan independence movement.
Assange has been holed up in the embassy since 2012. Though Sweden long ago dropped its request that Assange be extradicted, he is still struggling with legal issues in the UK: Earlier this year, a UK court declined to reverse his arrest warrant for violating his bail terms when he initially took refuge at the embassy. Wikileaks has released thousands of diplomatic cables belonging to the US, and US officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, have said Assange’s arrest is a “priority.”
As things stand, appears Assange will almost certainly be arrested once turned out of the embassy. But as that fate looks increasingly certain, it’s important to remember that a UN panel determined that Assange’s stay in the embassy amounted to “arbitrary detention” but it wasn’t enough to change his fate.
Furthermore, as we pointed out earlier this week, US imported a record amount of crude from Ecuador last week (a massive unprecedented surge all of a sudden), which begs the question…was there a payoff?
Seldom do we recognize and honor a hero when they are still living. Some day world citizens will look back and realize that Julian Assange was the bravest of men. He took on the deep state, hell, he took on those with no names. We honor bravery during war time with medals. How does one honor bravery in the face of criminals during a time of corruption? I have said in the past, show me one honest man. I looked past Julian Assange and for that I apologize to him. He is one brave man.
Agreed, he is a hero.
If this happens, we’ll look on helplessly as the deep state celebrates the comeuppance of a “traitor,” whose horrible crime was communicating the truth to the public. MSM will celebrate as well, abrogating, without shame, their responsibility to the truth, seemingly without a clue that they are ultimately shooting themselves in the foot, since they’ll be communicating, “free speech doesn’t matter.” The British and Americans should be deeply ashamed over this entire affair, and the new Ecuadorian leader would upset the standing of Ecuador as the only country to do right by this genuine hero. And where the hell is the government of Australia? Are they not responsible for protecting their citizens from such a witch hunt? Cowards. What a travesty.
Yes, a man with principles. The US gov hates the smell of bravery and defiance; it clogs their sinuses. The UK gov? Merely puppets. They will do what they are told by Washington. I would hate to think Mr. Moreno would turn this man over to torture and humiliation at the hand of international thugs.
The info sounds to me like rumor, rather than solid intelligence. If the move is agreed to be in days, why mention weeks? How many weeks? Is “Q” the source, perhaps?
Will Julian use the time to do a Massive Wikileaks Dump ?
If I were looking at doing time in the pen in the not so distant future I can assure that all the dirt I had would be flung ASAP..
Buck..
He might be saving that dirt to avoid an untimely death. Perhaps he gave a code to someone to spill it.
Why do the brits want him?I thought tis was sweden with rape accusations,he is disappeared hope his followers hack the shit out of everything(the ones with the skills).A brave man indeed,and,one to teach others about and hopefully a example to current and future generations.
I am torn between hoping the Ecuadorian embbasy gets attacked and thanking them for it seems being the only country offering him some hope,hmmmm….,prhaps we write Putin and ask him,hint hint POTUS!
“Why do the brits want him?”
So they can hand him over to the American Deep State, presumably to be ‘not tortured’ for the heinous crime of engaging in unsanctioned real journalism.
Always keep in mind that Assange is viewed as a criminal, by the actual criminals, for exposing the multitude of crimes of the actual criminals.
Still no arrests in the assassination of Seth Rich, though.
I believe the Brits say that he broke their laws by not appearing to answer the Swede’s accusations at the time. They are using the technicality , even though Sweden has dropped the charges. It is nonsense, of course, but why should we expect any other behavior at this point in the game?
He should have never gone there in the first place. Get a fucking lawyer.
So, Dutchman, I presume Seth Rich had a lawyer, for all the good that did.
As it is, if he IS arrested by the U.S. Deep State, maybe that could be a rallying point to join the “sane” left and the “sane” right in a call for peace and decency and all that.
Jeff Sessions hates Assange but loves asset forfeiture. Not my kinda guy. We all owe Assange a debt of gratitude for exposing the corruption.
I think the hysteria about Ecuador handing over Assange is overblown. Yes, he is in danger and has been for years and probably always will be, but since former president Raphael Correa issued Assange an Ecuador passport and granted him citizenship Moreno will have a hard time surrendering one of his own citizens in the embassy over to the UK police. I honestly don’t see that happening. Something might happen but if Moreno starts selling out his own citizens at the behest of the US, there will be hell to pay among the rest of his people.
Two stories from the Ecuador press this week, El Telegrafo, shed some light that is far less hysterical than the alt news media –
(chrome translate)
“The president of Ecuador, Lenin Moreno , starts this weekend a tour that will take him to the United Kingdom and Spain to fulfill activities of an official nature.
It has not been confirmed for the time being if the Ecuadorian president will hold bilateral meetings with high British rulers. It is also unknown if he will visit the embassy of Ecuador in London , where the founder of Wikileaks, the Australian J ulian Assange , has been isolated since 2012.” – https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/politica/3/leninmoreno-ecuador-gira-reinounido-espana
“The Ecuadorian president, Lenin Moreno, will not meet with Julian Assange, asylum since 2012 in the embassy of Ecuador in London, on the occasion of his visit to the British capital , as indicated on Thursday, July 19, Foreign Minister Andrés Terán. “No, it is not planned,” said the diplomat when asked by the Teleamazonas channel about whether Moreno will visit the legation during his tour of the United Kingdom and Spain from July 21 to 27……
“The minister said that “in this case, President Moreno will not have any kind of official approach with the British government because the situation still does not merit.” “We are in a process of negotiation and (…) there are stages.” The intervention or participation of the president of the Republic would have to be a last stage, “he added.
“Terán emphasized that they are still “in talks” with London to solve the Assange case , for whom the British justice maintains a prison order for violating conditions of his bail as a result of the investigation to which he was subjected by Sweden. “All solutions will be framed within international law and Ecuadorian law,” said the diplomat.”
” The Moreno government announced last December that it granted the nationality to Assange , which did not help to fix the situation of the founder of WikiLeaks. “It was a failed attempt that did not work (…) and, on the contrary, far from solving the problem, it became more difficult,” the president said two weeks ago to the foreign press in Quito.” – https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/politica/3/moreno-assange-reunion-londres
I can see him being disappeared. I hope he dumps a lot of info before it happens.