LONDON - The cost of keeping watch on Julian Assange, who is holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, is proving a drain on police resources and the operation is under review, London's police chief said on Tuesday.

The WikiLeaks founder sought refuge in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault, which he denies.

He faces arrest for breaching British bail conditions if he leaves the embassy, which is in the upmarket central London neighbourhood of Knightsbridge.

London's Metropolitan Police have been standing guard outside the embassy around the clock to prevent him from fleeing, at an estimated cost of about 10 million pounds ($15 million) since the operation began.

"We are reviewing ... how we can do that differently in the future because it's sucking our resources in," Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe told LBC radio, adding that the force was facing funding cuts.

"We won't talk explicitly about our tactics, but we're reviewing what options we have," he said, declining to be drawn on whether fewer police might be deployed outside the embassy.

Assange's presence inside the embassy has caused a diplomatic impasse between Britain and Ecuador, which has granted him asylum.

London says that having tried and failed to challenge Sweden's extradition request through the courts, Assange must obey the law and hand himself over to be flown to Stockholm.

Assange says that the allegations against him were trumped up to facilitate his extradition first to Sweden but ultimately to the United States, where he could be put on trial over huge leaks of previously secret information to WikiLeaks.

The website began publishing thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010, infuriating Washington and, according to Assange's critics, damaging U.S. national security and putting the lives of some dissidents in authoritarian countries at risk.

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U.K. to review high cost of Julian Assange policing operation

Police monitor Assange's supporters at a rally in June 2014. Photo: TT

Julian Assange's residence in London's Ecuadorian embassy is 'frustrating', the UK's Deputy Prime Minister has said, after figures emerged that the Wikileaks founder's security has cost around 125 million kronor ($15 million) as he fights extradition to Sweden.

Police in London have confirmed that the Australian cost UK taxpayers 113 million kronor between June 2012 and October 2014, with current daily costs of around 13,000 kronor expected to have pushed up the total spending to 125 million kronor.

The figures were obtained by London radio station LBC under the UK's Freedom of Information Act.

In response, the UK's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Assange should "face justice" and spoke of a "frustrating situation" for both the British taxpayer and the Swedish government, during his weekly radio phone-in on LBC.

Julian Assange is wanted over rape and sexual assault claims made by two women in Sweden in 2010.

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Assange 'frustrating' for UK and Sweden officials

Julian Assange is considering legal action against Nick Clegg over comments he made on a radio programme yesterday.

The Wikileaks founder is taking legal advice on whether he should sue the Deputy Prime Minsiter for defamation, after he said he had been "charged" with a crime.

Mr Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over accusations of sexual assault, but he has yet to be charged over the matter.

Mr Clegg made the comments during his phone-in discussion programme, Call Clegg, on LBC Radio on Thursday morning.

In a statement released on the Wikileaks website, Mr Assange said: "I have instructed my legal team to examine whether the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg should be sued for defamation.

"Nick Clegg falsely stated to the media yesterday, in comments that were widely reported, that I had been "charged" with an offence. I have not been charged or indicted, in this country or in Sweden as the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom clearly states."

The Metropolitan Police has spent 10m policing the embassy in case Assange leaves the building, according to figures obtained by LBC under the Freedom of Information act.

In August, he said he was planning to leave the embassy "soon" - but he remains within the building where he has been for 950 days.

During the phone-in, Mr Clegg said Assange should "go to Sweden" to face justice.

Swedish authorities want to speak to Mr Assange over allegations he sexually assaulted two women in Stockholm in 2010.

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Wikileaks' Julian Assange considering suing Nick Clegg for defamation

Presentacin de Citizenfour y conversacin con Julian Assange
Mesa Redonda Espionaje ciberntico y derechos digitales Con motivo de esta pelcula sobre Edward Snowden, analizaremos la figura del whistle-blower y hablare...

By: Centro de Cultura Digital

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Presentación de Citizenfour y conversación con Julian Assange - Video

Julian Assange (Pic) says his legal team will study comments made by British Deputy PM Nick Clegg.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says his legal team will study comments made by British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to see if they were defamatory.

Clegg was interviewed on LBC radio on Friday about Assange's continued stay at Ecuador's embassy in London and the STG10 million ($A19.65 million) cost of policing the building.

Assange has been at the embassy since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faces questions over claims of sexual assaults, which he denies.

Clegg said: "Am I frustrated that this goes on and on like this? Am I frustrated that taxpayers are picking up the tab around the Ecuadorian embassy? Yes, sure.

"Imagine the frustration of the Swedish government - hardly an illiberal rogue state.

"This is a country of impeccable democratic credentials with a well-respected judicial system who say he should go to Sweden to face very serious allegations and charges of rape, which he denies."

Assange has taken exception to use of the word "charges".

"I have instructed my legal team to examine whether the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, should be sued for defamation," Assange said in a statement.

"Nick Clegg falsely stated to the media yesterday, in comments that were widely reported, that I had been 'charged' with an offence".

Link:
Assange 'studying UK deputy PM's remarks'

Julian Paul Assange (Townsville, Queensland, 3 de julio de 1971),[1] conocido como Julian Assange, es un programador, periodista y activista de Internet australiano, conocido por ser el fundador, editor y portavoz del sitio web WikiLeaks.

Assange no quiere dar a conocer su fecha de nacimiento ni otros datos personales. Raffi Khatchadourian en un artculo en el The New Yorker, dice que naci en Townsville, Queensland, en 1971. Assange ha dicho que sus padres hicieron una compaa teatral itinerante, y que asisti a 37 escuelas y 6 universidades en Australia.

Assange ayud en 1997 a escribir el libro Underground de Suelette Dreyfus,[2] en el que se le acredita como investigador. Comprende desde sus experiencias de adolescencia como miembro de un grupo de hackers llamado Subversivos Internacionales, por lo que, en 1991, la Polica Federal Australiana asalt su casa de Melbourne. La revista Wired y los peridicos The Sunday Times y The Sydney Morning Herald han apuntado a que existen similitudes entre Assange y la persona llamada Mendax en el libro. El New Yorker ha identificado a Assange como Mendax y explica su origen de una frase de Horacio. Assange ha accedido a varias computadoras (pertenecientes a una universidad australiana, a una compaa de telecomunicaciones, y a otras organizaciones) va mdem para detectar errores de seguridad. Posteriormente se declar culpable de 24 cargos por delitos informticos y fue liberado por buena conducta tras ser multado con 2.100 dlares australianos.

Assange estudi fsica y matemticas en la Universidad de Melbourne,[3] fue hacker y programador antes de asumir su actual cargo como director, asesor y redactor jefe de WikiLeaks.[4]

Ms tarde, Assange vivi como programador y promotor de software libre, es experto en los lenguajes de programacin Haskell y Ocaml, es el creador de programa de cifrado Rubberhose, que sirvi de base para el programa TrueCrypt; particip como desarrollador de FreeBSD, y colabor en el desarrollo de PostgreSQL.[5] En 1995 escribi Strobe, el primer escner de puertos gratuito y libre.[6] Strobe inspir a Gordon Lyon para desarrollar el escner de puertos Nmap.

Empezando alrededor de 1997, Assange coinvent "Rubberhose deniable encryption", un concepto criptogrfico hecho en un paquete de programas para GNU/Linux, diseado para proveer negacin pausible contra el criptoanlisis de manguera de goma, que originalmente estaba destinado a ser "una herramienta para trabajadores por los derechos humanos que necesitaban proteger informacin sensible, como listados de activistas y detalles sobre abusos cometidos".[7] Es, asimismo, autor o coautor de software libre como el programa de almacenamiento en cache NNTP Usenet y el Surfraw.

Assange estudi fsica y matemticas en la Universidad de Melbourne hasta 2006, cuando empez a implicarse profundamente en WikiLeaks. Ha sido descrito como muy autodidacta y extensamente ledo en ciencias y matemticas. Tambin ha estudiado filosofa y neurociencia. En su pgina web, describi cmo represent a su universidad en la Competicin Nacional Australiana de Fsica alrededor de 2005.

Assange ha dicho que es bastante cierto que est constantemente movindose y que est viviendo en los aeropuertos en estos das.[8] Ha estado en Vietnam, Suecia, Islandia, Siberia y Estados Unidos. Assange comenz alquilando una casa en Islandia el 30 de marzo de 2010, donde l y otros activistas trabajaron en el vdeo Asesinato colateral. En mayo de 2010, despus de llegar a Australia, se le quit el pasaporte, y al devolvrselo le dijeron que iba a ser cancelado, por lo que afirm sentirse perseguido por el gobierno estadounidense.[9]

Se deca que se encontraba refugiado, en paradero desconocido, ante el riesgo de ser asesinado por agentes especiales,[10] aunque el 21 de junio de 2010 se present en una conferencia en el Parlamento Europeo tal como estaba programado.[11][12]

El 16 de agosto del 2012, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Ecuador, Ricardo Patio, anunci que s otorgar asilo diplomtico al fundador de Wikileaks, Julian Assange. Por lo que se espera que el Gobierno Britnico conceda -a pesar de su negativa inicial-[13] el salvo conducto para que Julian Assange pueda viajar a Ecuador.[14]

Link:
Julian Assange - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Julian Paul Assange[1] [snd, snd][2] (* 3. Juli 1971[3] in Townsville, Queensland[1]) ist ein australischer politischer Aktivist, investigativer Journalist, ehemaliger Computerhacker, Programmierer und Sprecher der Enthllungsplattform WikiLeaks.

Neben dem WikiLeaks-Sprecher Kristinn Hrafnsson sowie Daniel Domscheit-Berg und Herbert Snorrason, die WikiLeaks im September 2010 verlieen,[4] ist Assange eine der wenigen bekannten Personen der Whistleblower-Plattform im Internet, die es sich zum Ziel gesetzt hat, geheimgehaltene Dokumente allgemein verfgbar zu machen. Assange machte widersprchliche Aussagen dazu, ob er als Grnder der Organisation bezeichnet werden knne.[5][6][7] Er erhielt verschiedene Journalismus-Preise und Auszeichnungen.

WikiLeaks hat mehrfach interne Dokumente von US-Armee und -Behrden verffentlicht, unter anderem zu den Kriegen in Afghanistan und im Irak. Assange droht deswegen ein Strafprozess in den USA. Einige bekannte US-Politiker und Journalisten haben seine Hinrichtung, oder gezielte Ttung (englisch Assassination) durch Militr oder Geheimdienste, teilweise auch mit illegalen Mitteln, gefordert. Frhere Untersttzer haben sich zunehmend kritisch ber Assange geuert, insbesondere ber seinen Fhrungsstil in der mittlerweile weitgehend inaktiven Organisation.

Nachdem in Schweden im Herbst 2010 Vergewaltigungsvorwrfe gegen ihn erhoben worden waren, schickte sich sein Gastland Grobritannien an, ihn dorthin zu berstellen. Assange bezeichnet die schwedischen Vorwrfe als Teil eines Komplotts gegen ihn und befrchtet, dass er als Folge an die USA ausgeliefert werden knne, wo ihn kein fairer Prozess erwarten wrde. Nachdem in Grobritannien alle rechtlichen Mittel gegen eine Auslieferung an Schweden ausgeschpft waren, floh er im Juni 2012 in die Botschaft Ecuadors in London und bat dort um politisches Asyl, das im August 2012 bewilligt wurde. Seitdem lebt er in der Botschaft. Seine Flucht in die Botschaft lste erhebliche internationale diplomatische Verwicklungen aus. Am 18. August 2014 kndigte Assange an, die Botschaft zu verlassen, bestritt aber, dass dies wegen seiner gesundheitlichen Probleme erfolgen werde.[8]

Julian Assanges Eltern betrieben einen Wanderzirkus. Er verbrachte seine Kindheit in der Nhe des australischen Ortes Byron Bay, einem Zentrum fr alternative Knstler. Spter zog die Familie auf die Insel Magnetic Island bei Townsville.[9] Nach der Trennung seiner Eltern wuchs Assange bei seiner Mutter auf, die 1979 einen Musiker heiratete. Aus dieser Ehe ging Assanges Halbbruder hervor. Nach der erneuten Trennung wechselte Assanges Mutter, da sie filmschaffend ttig war und sich zeitweise auf der Flucht vor einer Sekte und ihrem zweiten Mann befand,[10] mit beiden Kindern hufiger den Wohnort, wodurch diese zu hufigen Schulwechseln und zwischenzeitlichem Hausunterricht gezwungen waren.

Spter studierte Assange Physik und Mathematik an der University of Melbourne,[1] ohne jedoch einen Abschluss zu erlangen.[11] Als die mathematische Fakultt seiner Universitt im Rahmen eines Vertrages mit der US-Armee Studien erstellte, die das Verhalten von militrisch eingesetzten Truppentransportern und Bulldozern verbessern sollten, exmatrikulierte sich Assange aus Protest gegen das, was er die Optimierung einer Killer-Maschine nannte.[12]

Erste Programmiererfahrungen sammelte Assange auf einem C64, 1987 beschaffte er sich ein Modem.[9] Unter dem Pseudonym Mendax (lateinisch fr Lgner) begann er erste Aktivitten als Hacker. Er und zwei weitere Hacker schlossen sich zusammen und grndeten eine Gruppe namens International Subversives. Aufgrund dieser Aktivitten fhrte die Australian Federal Police 1991 in seinem Haus in Melbourne eine Razzia durch. 1992 wurde Julian Assange in 24 Fllen des illegalen Hackens fr schuldig befunden, weshalb er ein Bugeld in Hhe von 2100 australischen Dollar bezahlen musste und eine Bewhrungsstrafe erhielt.[13] 1995 schrieb Assange den ersten freien Portscanner namens Strobe.[14] Er beschftigte sich auch mit Verschlsselungssoftware und erfand 1997 das Dateisystem Rubberhose, das einen glaubhaft abstreitbaren Verschlsselungsmechanismus darstellt.[15]

Whrend seiner Zeit als Hacker lernte er seine sptere Frau kennen. 1989 zogen beide zusammen, ein gemeinsamer Sohn wurde geboren. 1991 trennte sich das Paar. 1999, nach einem jahrelangen Rechtsstreit, einigten sich Assange und seine Mutter Christine mit der Kindesmutter auf ein gemeinsames Sorgerecht.[9]

Seit 2006 ist er fr WikiLeaks aktiv. Nach eigener Aussage hat er im Internet Geld verdient und konnte somit unbezahlt fr WikiLeaks arbeiten.[5] Infolge seiner Arbeit fr WikiLeaks wurde er mehrmals verhaftet, abgehrt, zensiert und auch erfolglos verklagt.[16] 2011 wurde Assange von dem damals 18-jhrigen Sigurdur Thordarson, der anderthalb Jahre bei WikiLeaks volontierte, fr das FBI ausspioniert.[17][18]

Assange kndigte seinem bis dahin engsten Vertrauten Daniel Domscheit-Berg im August 2010 in einem Chat. Domscheit-Berg hatte zunehmend Kritik an der Arbeitsweise von WikiLeaks geuert: Er wollte feste Strukturen, ein Bro, bezahlte Angestellte. Und er wollte ber diese Dinge offen diskutieren. Spter verarbeitete er seine Kritik in einem Buch.[19]

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Julian Assange – Wikipedia

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pictured on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge, London, in November 2014. File photograph: Yui Mok/PA Wire

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has asked his legal team to study comments made by deputy British prime minister Nick Clegg to see whether they were defamatory.

Mr Clegg was interviewed on LBC radio on Thursday about Mr Assanges continued stay at the Ecuadorian embassy in London and the 10 million (13.46 million) cost of policing the building.

Mr Assange has been at the embassy since June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questions over claims of sexual assaults, which he denies.

Mr Clegg said: Am I frustrated that this goes on and on like this? Am I frustrated that taxpayers are picking up the tab around the Ecuadorian embassy? Yes, sure.

Imagine the frustration of the Swedish government - hardly an illiberal rogue state.

Democratic credentials

This is a country of impeccable democratic credentials with a well-respected judicial system who say he should go to Sweden to face very serious allegations and charges of rape, which he denies.

Of course, the right thing to do is for him to do that and face justice in a country where due process is well-established.

Mr Assange has taken exception to use of the word charges.

Read more:
Julian Assange accuses Clegg over rape ‘charges’ comment

Julian Assange.

A London radio station has crunched the numbers after a freedom of information request revealed the Metropolitan Police had spent 9 million pounds ($NZ18.6 million) guarding the Ecuadorean diplomatic mission to the end of October 2014.

That's 10,500 pounds ($NZ21,725) per day, and given Assange has been inside the embassy for 960 days since June 19, 2012, the total figure to date is now just over 10 million pounds.

A frustrated British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Thursday insisted the Australian should leave the embassy and "face justice".

The WikiLeaks founder is avoiding extradition to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault.

Assange fears if he's extradited he could subsequently be sent to the United States and charged over the website's release of classified documents.

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office says the government remains committed to reaching a "diplomatic solution".

"We are clear that our laws must be followed and Mr Assange should be extradited to Sweden," a spokeswoman said in a statement on Thursday.

"As ever we look to Ecuador to help bring this difficult, and costly, situation to an end."

London deputy mayor for policing and crime Stephen Greenhalgh acknowledges the STG10 million figure is "an eye-watering amount of money".

Read this article:
Assange guard bill tops $20 million

In August Mr Assange indicated he would soon leave the embassy but six months later he remains inside.

Information released by Scotland Yard to the LBC radio station under Freedom of Information laws showed the 9 million sum to the end of October included 7.3 million in police pay and 1.7 million in other "indirect" costs.

The sum would have been enough to keep 343 police officers on the beat for a year.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We remain as committed as ever to reaching a diplomatic solution to this situation.

Police outside the embassy in Knightsbridge

We are clear that our laws must be followed and Mr Assange should be extradited to Sweden.

"As ever, we look to Ecuador to help bring this difficult and costly situation to an end."

Stephen Greenhalgh, the deputy mayor for policing and crime in London, said: "It is an eye-watering amount of money.

"We do need a diplomatic situation, but ultimately it is the taxpayer that foots the bill.

Julian Assange gives a press conference

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Julian Assange policing costs reach £10 million