Category Archives: Julian Assange

Swedish Prosecutor to Interview Julian Assange in London …

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has spent nearly three years in an Ecuadorian embassy in London in an effort to avoid both charges from the United States regarding the dissemination of classified information as well as a nearly five-year investigation that alleges Assange committed sex crimes in Sweden. With the statue of limitations in the latter case set to expire this August, Swedish prosecutors hope to travel to London to interview Assange in the near future in a last-ditch effort to decide whether to pursue charges.

"My view has always been that to perform an interview with him at the Ecuadorean embassy in London would lower the quality of the interview, and that he would need to be present in Sweden in any case should there be a trial in the future," Lead prosecutor Marianne Ny said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). "Now that time is of the essence, I have viewed it therefore necessary to accept such deficiencies in the investigation and likewise take the risk that the interview does not move the case forward."

Ny asked permission from both Assange's legal team and the Ecuadorian embassy to interview the WikiLeaks founder, as well as requesting a DNA sample. Per Samuelson, one of Assange's defense attorneys, told The Associated Press, "This is something we've demanded for over four years. Julian Assange wants to be interviewed so he can be exonerated."

In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone's Michael Hastings, Assange couldn't discuss the ongoing investigation, butbriefly opened up about the 2010 allegations that he had sexually molested two women in Sweden. "It is very difficult, being in the position where you can't tell your version of events," Assange said. "People can read the allegations for themselves. They're not correct, but even as stated, they are absurd. What the prosecution successfully managed to do is use the word 'rape.' Although I've not been charged and technically what they are investigating is called 'minor rape,' a Swedish concept that hasn't stopped our opponents from constantly referring to 'rape charges,' which is false."

When asked by Hastings why hedidn't just deny the allegations and face his accusations against him head-on in Sweden, Assangereplied, "I have no faith in the Swedish justice system being just. The International Prison Chaplains Association says that Swedish prisons are the worst prisons in Europe In addition, if you criticize matters, such as that Swedes have the worst prison system in all of Europe, then it would be the worse for you, because the Swedish justice system will take its revenge."

Assange also dismissed the widely held belief that the Swedish charges were planted by the CIA as a means of discrediting him, and in Ny'scomments Friday, she also reiterated that the U.S. is not involved with the Swedish investigation.

Following Ny's decision to venture to London to talk with Assange, WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said, "I think it's absolutely outrageous that it took the Swedish prosecutor four-and-a-half years to come to this conclusion after maintaining that she couldn't come to London because it would be illegal to do so. Obviously that was a bogus argument."

Even if Assange is exonerated of the charges, it's still unlikely the WikiLeaks proprietor will be able to return to Sweden because there is nothing in place to prevent Sweden from extraditing him to the United States, where he'd likely face countless charges in the wake of Cablegate and the ChelseaManning trial.

In the Rolling Stone interview, Assange says he asked a "Western intelligence source" whether he'd ever be able to return to his native Australia and freely move around the globe. "He told me I was fucked," Assange said.

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Swedish Prosecutor to Interview Julian Assange in London ...

Julian Assange offered interview with Swedish prosecutors

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Swedish prosecutors' surprise offer to question WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador's London embassy over rape allegations offers a clear breakthrough in the deadlocked case, Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino says.

Assange took refuge in the London embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden and has been ensconced there ever since.

"This allows us to see a light at the end of the tunnel," Patino told reporters in Washington on Thursday (local time).

"That light is still not close, but this is the first time there is a movement in the Swedish judicial system suggesting that it may proceed with an interview."

The top Ecuadorean diplomat said he welcomed the Swedish move, but regretted it had not taken place earlier.

Up to now, Swedish prosecutors have refused to go to London to question the 43-year-old Australian former hacker over the allegations.

Assange has refused to go to Sweden to be questioned over the allegations, which he has vehemently denied, saying the sexual encounters were consensual.

But the prosecutor in charge of the case, Marianne Ny, said last week she was dropping her opposition as some of the alleged offences will reach their statute of limitations in August.

Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange in 2010 following allegations by two women in Sweden, one who claimed rape and another who alleged sexual assault.

Assange fears that Sweden will pass him on to the United States, where an investigation is ongoing into his anti-secrecy website's release in 2010 of 500,000 classified military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and 250,000 diplomatic cables which embarrassed Washington.

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Julian Assange offered interview with Swedish prosecutors

Ecuador sees ‘light’ in Julian Assange case

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The surprise offer by Swedish prosecutors to question WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at Ecuador's London embassy over rape allegations last week offers a clear breakthrough in the deadlocked case, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino has said.

Julian Assange took refuge in the London embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden and has been there ever since.

Up to now, Swedish prosecutors have refused to go to London to question the43-year-old Australian former hacker over the allegations.

But the prosecutor in charge of the case, Marianne Ny, said last week shewas dropping her opposition as some of the alleged offences will reach theirstatute of limitations in August.

"This allows us to see a light at the end of the tunnel," Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters in Washington.

"That light is still not close, but this is the first time there is a movement in the Swedish judicial system suggesting that it may proceed with an interview."

The top Ecuadoran diplomat said he welcomed the Swedish move, but regretted it had not taken place earlier.

Last week Assange's lawyer Per Samuelsson told The Local that the Wikileaks founder viewed the development as a great victory.

"But simultaneously he was irritated that it took so long for the prosecutor to do her job properly...there is a mixture of feelings," he added.

When she [the chief prosecutor] hears his version of events, we are convinced she will believe he is innocent and will drop all her suspicions, he concluded.

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Ecuador sees 'light' in Julian Assange case

Protesters mark 1,000 days of Julian Assange in Ecuador’s Embassy – Video

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Protesters mark 1,000 days of Julian Assange in Ecuador #39;s Embassy
Protesters gathered outside the Ecuadorian Embassy demanding freedom for Julian Assange who is currently avoiding arrest and extradition to Sweden by living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London,.

By: Demotix News

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Protesters mark 1,000 days of Julian Assange in Ecuador's Embassy - Video

1,000 Days: Julian Assange, Ecuador and the US War on …

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As Julian Assange marks 1,000 days in Ecuador's London Embassy, teleSUR spoke with him and Ecuadors Foreign Minister on the importance of this landmarkcase.

On Monday Julian Assange marks his 1,000th day in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. 24,000 hours spent trapped in a handful of little rooms in a non-descript Knightsbridge road: tirelessly working, rarely venturing into the sunlight.

While the building appears unremarkable, the symbolism of the four walls is great. Because ironically, the inside represents the freedom offered by the Latin American country, and outside, persecution and indefinite imprisonment await. Yet the Australian national has never been charged with a crime.

This is the tale of one of the greatest battles over freedom of speech in modern history, and how the tiny nation of Ecuador became an internationally recognized champion of human rights against the opposition of two imperialist giants.

In interviews with teleSUR, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Ecuadors Foreign minister have outlined the significance of this battle to defend those who publish the truth, whatever the consequences for the powerful.

Patino believes that these events underline how they show a commitment to safeguarding human rights, freedom and life, in todays Latin America that is in stark contrast to a past riddled with dictators and human rights abused

It has been a difficult 1000 days. Not so much for me but for my family, Assange told teleSUR in an interview in the run up to the Monday's anniversary.

For me, I have plenty of things to concentrate on that are not in the embassy. I have an organization to run.

That organization, Assanges website Wikileaks, exploded into the limelight in April 2010 when it released an electrifying U.S. military video. It depicted U.S. military personnel in an Apache helicopter killing 18 civilians in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad, including two Reuters staff. The clip, entitled Collateral Murder, would be the first piece of evidence pointing to U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan in the public domain.

Two months later, Chelsea Manning, a then-22-year-old intelligence private with the U.S. military in Iraq, was arrested, charged with disclosing national secrets. It would later become apparent that Manning had executed the biggest leak in history: millions upon millions of top secret computer files, cascades of damaging documents.

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UK: Assange supporters mark his 1,000th day in Ecuadorian embassy – Video

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UK: Assange supporters mark his 1,000th day in Ecuadorian embassy
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Monday to mark the 1000th day of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange #39;s imposed stay in the building. -------------------------...

By: RuptlyTV

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UK: Assange supporters mark his 1,000th day in Ecuadorian embassy - Video

Anonymous : US fame Assange – Protesters mark 1,000 days of Julian Assange – Video

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Anonymous : US fame Assange - Protesters mark 1,000 days of Julian Assange
Anonymous : US fame Assange - Protesters mark 1000 days of Julian Assange youtube live : http://youtu.be/7YHjRt4yU_Q Speaker Christine Ann Sands of the Anonymous Million Mask March ...

By: loveofpeace

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Anonymous : US fame Assange - Protesters mark 1,000 days of Julian Assange - Video