Ecuador Embassy in London cut off Internet access of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Julian Assange speaks to the media from the balcony of Ecuador's embassy in London / Jack Taylor/Getty Images
VietPress USA(March 28, 2018): Julian Paul Assange(/əˈsɑːnʒ/;néHawkins; born 3 July 1971) is anAustraliancomputer programmer and the editor ofWikiLeaks.Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006, but came to international attention in 2010, when WikiLeaks published a series of leaks provided byChelsea Manning. These leaks included theCollateral Murdervideo (April 2010),theAfghanistan war logs(July 2010), theIraq war logs(October 2010), andCableGate(November 2010). Following the 2010 leaks, thefederal government of the United Stateslaunched a criminal investigation into WikiLeaks and asked allied nations for assistance.
In November 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for Assange. He had been questioned there months earlier over allegations of sexual assault and rape. Assange continued to deny the allegations, and expressed concern that he would be extradited from Sweden to the United States because of his perceived role in publishing secret American documents. Assange surrendered himself to UK police on 7 December 2010, and was held for ten days before being released on bail. Having been unsuccessful in his challenge to the extradition proceedings, he breached his bail and absconded. He was granted asylum by Ecuador in August 2012 and has remained in the Embassy of Ecuador in London since then.
During the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries, WikiLeaks hosted emails sent or received by candidate Hillary Clinton from her private email server when she was Secretary of State. According to two political scientists, WikiLeaks strategically released the e-mails whenever Clinton's lead expanded in the polls. After the Democratic Party, with along cybersecurity experts, claimed that Russian intelligence had hacked Clinton campaign-related e-mails and leaked them to WikiLeaks, Assange said Clinton was causing "hysteria about Russia." He consistently denied any connection to or cooperation with Russia in relation to the leaks.
On 19 May 2017, the Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigation into the rape accusation against Assange and applied to revoke the European arrest warrant. Although free to leave the Embassy, it is likely that he would then be arrested for the criminal offence of breaching his bail conditions. The London Metropolitan Police have indicated that an arrest warrant is still in force for Assange’s failure to surrender himself to his bail. On 11 January 2018, it was announced that Assange had held Ecuadorian citizenship since 12 December 2017. (Wikipedia).
During last 5 years, Ecuador gave Julian Assange asylum after he sought refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden for investigation of sex-related claims. Sweden dropped the case, but Assange remains subject to arrest in Britain for jumping bail.
Today Ecuador's government is cutting off WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's communications outside the nation's London embassy for violation of the agreement duly signed with Ecuador embassy.
Officials announced Wednesday they were taking the measure in response to Assange's recent activity on social media.
As part of an agreement between Assange and the Ecuadorean government, he is not permitted to send any messages that could interfere with the South American nation's relations with other countries.
Assange has been living in Ecuador's embassy for more than five years.
Ecuador gave Assange asylum after he sought refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden for investigation of sex-related claims. Sweden dropped the case, but Assange remains subject to arrest in Britain for jumping bail.
