Trump, a case of Malignant Normalcy (besides the "normal" Malignant Narcissim)

[webfact]

UK said Assange would not be extradited - Ecuador's top attorney

By Alexandra Valencia

 

FILE PHOTO: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Britain, May 19, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

 

QUITO (Reuters) - The United Kingdom told Ecuador in August that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would not be extradited if he left the country's London embassy, where he has lived under asylum since 2012, Ecuador's top government attorney said on Thursday.

 

In a written response to queries from Ecuador, the UK explained that it had not received any extradition request, and said Assange's jail time in the UK for violating bail terms by seeking refuge in the embassy would not exceed six months, Iñigo Salvador, who represents the Ecuadorean government in court proceedings, told reporters.

 

Salvador said Ecuador passed on the UK's response to Assange's lawyers, but noted that if Assange stayed in the embassy Ecuador would put new conditions on his stay.

 

"Mr. Assange had a choice between turning himself in to British authorities with those assurances, or staying in the embassy of Ecuador, but given that the asylum had lasted six years with no signs of immediate resolution we were going to place certain rules," Salvador said at a news conference.

 

It was unclear if the UK's assurances were still valid. Assange's legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office referred to Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan's June statement that Assange would be treated "humanely and properly" if he left the embassy.

 

Assange took refuge in the embassy after British courts ordered his extradition to Sweden to face questioning in a sexual molestation case. That case has been dropped, but supporters have said that Assange fears he could be extradited to the United States if he leaves the embassy.

 

WikiLeaks, which published U.S. diplomatic and military secrets when Assange ran the operation, faces a U.S. grand jury investigation.

 

The relationship between Assange and Ecuador has grown increasingly tense in the past year. Assange filed a lawsuit in an Ecuadorean court last week claiming the new asylum terms, which require him to pay for medical bills and telephone calls and to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights.

 

Ecuador says the rules are consistent with international asylum standards.

 

Ecuador's foreign minister, José Valencia, told Reuters earlier this week that he was "frustrated" by Assange's decision to file suit, and said the South American country would no longer intervene on his behalf in talks with Britain over his situation, a break from previous practice.

 

On Thursday, Salvador refuted Assange's claims in the suit that Ecuador prevented him from receiving visitors, denied him counsel and cut off access to communications, noting that he received 62 visits between July and October, including some from his lawyers.

 

An initial hearing in the case had been scheduled for Thursday, but the presiding judge suspended it after the videoconference that was supposed to beam Assange into the courtroom faltered.

 

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Luc Cohen; Editing by Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-26

[dick dasterdly]

The farce continues....

 

"In a written response to queries from Ecuador, the UK explained that it had not received any extradition request"

 

Presumably they're talking about from the US, as we already know that he was arrested as a result of an extradition request from Sweden.  As the article notes, the Swedes have now dropped the case and said that they are no longer pursuing extradition.

 

"and said Assange's jail time in the UK for violating bail terms by seeking refuge in the embassy would not exceed six months"

 

As he was arrested as a result of Sweden requesting extradition - and Sweden has dropped the case - I find it ridiculous that the UK is still determined to jail him for 6 months for jumping bail on the extradition request from Sweden.

 

"WikiLeaks, which published U.S. diplomatic and military secrets when Assange ran the operation, faces a U.S. grand jury investigation."

 

In view of the circumstances, I don't blame him for being extremely paranoid!

 

"An initial hearing in the case had been scheduled for Thursday, but the presiding judge suspended it after the videoconference that was supposed to beam Assange into the courtroom faltered."

 

Does anyone know what this suspended 'initial hearing' was about?

Edited October 26, 2018 by dick dasterdly

[JimmyJ]

Reuters totally bs spin:

 

"The relationship between Assange and Ecuador has grown increasingly tense in the past year. Assange filed a lawsuit in an Ecuadorean court last week claiming the new asylum terms, which require him to pay for medical bills and telephone calls and to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights."

 

"... to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights."

 

The asylum terms Assange is protesting is that he remain silent on political issues, violating his freedom of speech and in violation of sanctuary.

 

Reuters makes him into a kook who is protesting that he has to clean up after his cat.

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Technically speaking the UK are correct, they will not extradite Assange in the absence of a request for extradition.

 

The mistake Assange has made is letting his day of reckonning for jumping bail be delayed such as to coincide with the forthcoming indictment of his partner in crime Roger Stone.

 

Mueller is preparing to move on Stone (almost certainly immediately after the US Mid-Terms), the cases Mueller has put against Stone before grand Juries have all included Assange.

 

The UK letter to the Ecuadorian’s remains technically correct, for the time being.

 

Point of note for Assange’s excusers, the charges Mueller has brought against Stone/Assange before Grand Jury all relate to assisting Russia’s illegal interference in the US election.

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with those other crimes you wish us to believe are ‘Whistle Blowing’.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by Chomper Higgot

[Chomper Higgot]

36 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Reuters totally bs spin:

 

"The relationship between Assange and Ecuador has grown increasingly tense in the past year. Assange filed a lawsuit in an Ecuadorean court last week claiming the new asylum terms, which require him to pay for medical bills and telephone calls and to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights."

 

"... to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights."

 

The asylum terms Assange is protesting is that he remain silent on political issues, violating his freedom of speech and in violation of sanctuary.

 

Reuters makes him into a kook who is protesting that he has to clean up after his cat.

 

 

Perhaps Assange should have checked Ecuador’s record on freedom of expression before locking himself in their embassy.

 

Once having checked he might have then refrained from hacking into their IT systems.

 

It seems he really couldn’t let the Ecuadorian’s hospitality go ‘un-rewarded’.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Chomper Higgot

[Pedrogaz]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Technically speaking the UK are correct, they will not extradite Assange in the absence of a request for extradition.

 

The mistake Assange has made is letting his day of reckonning for jumping bail be delayed such as to coincide with the forthcoming indictment of his partner in crime Roger Stone.

 

Mueller is preparing to move on Stone (almost certainly immediately after the US Mid-Terms), the cases Mueller has put against Stone before grand Juries have all included Assange.

 

The UK letter to the Ecuadorian’s remains technically correct, for the time being.

 

Point of note for Assange’s excusers, the charges Mueller has brought against Stone/Assange before Grand Jury all relate to assisting Russia’s illegal interference in the US election.

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with those other crimes you wish us to believe are ‘Whistle Blowing’.

 

 

There was no Russian interference in the US election. Assange is a hero and plays a very important role in limiting abuses of power by governments. Without such folk as Assange and Snowden how much worse would the abuse be? 

I don't even know why the redact the files they publish....they should make the abusers in the government accountable for the laws they break. Surveillance of US citizens if you remember was against the law.....the US government denied doing it and when they were exposed changed the law retrospectively....the NSA and the people authorising the surveillance should have been held accountable and gone to jail. 

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Technically speaking the UK are correct, they will not extradite Assange in the absence of a request for extradition.

 

The mistake Assange has made is letting his day of reckonning for jumping bail be delayed such as to coincide with the forthcoming indictment of his partner in crime Roger Stone.

 

Mueller is preparing to move on Stone (almost certainly immediately after the US Mid-Terms), the cases Mueller has put against Stone before grand Juries have all included Assange.

 

The UK letter to the Ecuadorian’s remains technically correct, for the time being.

 

Point of note for Assange’s excusers, the charges Mueller has brought against Stone/Assange before Grand Jury all relate to assisting Russia’s illegal interference in the US election.

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with those other crimes you wish us to believe are ‘Whistle Blowing’.

 

 

So you agree that the US is looking to extradite Assange?

[SpaceKadet]

"and said Assange's jail time in the UK for violating bail terms by seeking refuge in the embassy would not exceed six months"

 

In other words, UK would keep him incarcerated until such time America decides to ask for extradition.

[Chomper Higgot]

20 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

So you agree that the US is looking to extradite Assange?

Not yet I don’t.

 

But I fully expect the US Department of Justice to indict Assange for his part in assisting Russian interference in the US election, and it is reasonable to expect that indictment to be followed by an international arrest warrant.

 

If then arrested Assange can expect to be extradited.

 

This assumes the Russians don’t get to him first.

[Chomper Higgot]

24 minutes ago, SpaceKadet said:

"and said Assange's jail time in the UK for violating bail terms by seeking refuge in the embassy would not exceed six months"

 

In other words, UK would keep him incarcerated until such time America decides to ask for extradition.

Why would the UK do that?

 

Assange has done a splendid job of securing his own whereabouts, he’s going nowhere very fast.

 

Well not yet anyway.

[connda]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The United Kingdom told Ecuador in August that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would not be extradited if he left the country's London embassy, where he has lived under asylum since 2012, Ecuador's top government attorney said on Thursday.

Ah-huh.  Sure, of course he wouldn't. 

[anterian]

I think assurances by any government, let alone British, are pretty worthless and subject to change as the political winds change. 

[Aussieroaming]

I think he should be ejected onto the street to fend for himself.

[Morch]

5 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Reuters totally bs spin:

 

"The relationship between Assange and Ecuador has grown increasingly tense in the past year. Assange filed a lawsuit in an Ecuadorean court last week claiming the new asylum terms, which require him to pay for medical bills and telephone calls and to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights."

 

"... to clean up after his pet cat, violate his rights."

 

The asylum terms Assange is protesting is that he remain silent on political issues, violating his freedom of speech and in violation of sanctuary.

 

Reuters makes him into a kook who is protesting that he has to clean up after his cat.

 

 

 

So you assert that he's a model guest, and cleans after his cat? Not to mention demonstrating his interest in free speech by messing with host's net. Wasn't aware that being given asylum or shelter comes with no conditions, or that Equador's was pretty big on such things anyway. Guess Snowden, being more grounded in reality, knows the score and keeps his mouth shut about such issues.

[Morch]

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

There was no Russian interference in the US election. Assange is a hero and plays a very important role in limiting abuses of power by governments. Without such folk as Assange and Snowden how much worse would the abuse be? 

I don't even know why the redact the files they publish....they should make the abusers in the government accountable for the laws they break. Surveillance of US citizens if you remember was against the law.....the US government denied doing it and when they were exposed changed the law retrospectively....the NSA and the people authorising the surveillance should have been held accountable and gone to jail. 

 

There was Russian interference with the US election.

 

Assange is no hero. He's tucked away at a foreign embassy while making himself a nuisance to his hosts.

 

The only governments his actions had an impact on are Western. Whether you care to acknowledge it or not, them governments got better civil/human right records than them other governments Assange avoids messing with. To put things in perspective, the "abuse" wasn't up to the usual fare on the other side of the fence.

 

Spin away.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

The asylum terms Assange is protesting is that he remain silent on political issues, violating his freedom of speech and in violation of sanctuary.

How do the asylum terms work when Assange is a citizen of Ecuador?

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jan/11/julian-assange-is-made-ecuadorian-citizen-in-effort-to-resolve-impasse

I'd expect that Ecuador's Ambassador to the UK will decide what Assange can do or not do while inside the embassy grounds. There is nothing for Assange to protest or demand while on embassy grounds.

[Different]

USA is the most powerful country in the world but hypocrite western countries kissing American ass showing how nice pet dogs they are.   People now know that totalitarian regimes like Russia have safe haven for westerners asylum seekers.

[SpaceKadet]

"WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has secretly filed criminal charges against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, a person familiar with the case said, a drastic escalation of the government’s yearslong battle with him and his anti-secrecy group."

The rest of the article on NYT site https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/politics/julian-assange-indictment-wikileaks.html

 

So Julian was right to be paranoid. And were were right too, saying that US was planning for and extradition as soon as he leaves the Embassy.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

7 minutes ago, SpaceKadet said:

"WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has secretly filed criminal charges against the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, a person familiar with the case said, a drastic escalation of the government’s yearslong battle with him and his anti-secrecy group."

The rest of the article on NYT site https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/us/politics/julian-assange-indictment-wikileaks.html

 

So Julian was right to be paranoid. And were were right too, saying that US was planning for and extradition as soon as he leaves the Embassy.

 

Whether you and he are right or not depends on when the indictment was issued and what charges are listed in the indictment.

 

The indications are that this indictment arises from Mueller’s Russia investigations, if so it’s not just Assange who needs to be worried, Farage is also in the thick of that crime.

 

[janclaes47]

11 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The indications are that this indictment arises from Mueller’s Russia investigations,

Don't think so

 

Top Justice Department officials told prosecutors over the summer that they could start drafting a complaint against Mr. Assange, current and former law enforcement officials said.

[SpaceKadet]

For those that still naively believe that the cause is Mueller investigation, might read the linked article. It's old, from April... Things are secretly brewing since a few years.

 

...Asked about the possibility of his arrest, Mr Sessions said: "We've already begun to step up our efforts and whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail."

 

Full article on BBC news: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39663058

[Chomper Higgot]

Oops!

 

 

[Basil B]

Who next? "Leaks" the cat? rumor is it has been micro chipped and not just a pet ID chip... 

[Tailwagsdog]

Why does the US just go after Assange, the US media incl Murdoch published the secrets, so are they not guilty as well? 

[Srikcir]

6 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Who next? "Leaks" the cat? rumor is it has been micro chipped and not just a pet ID chip... 

Might the whole embassy be compromised like the Saudi Embassy in Turkey?

Assange might unknowingly be the star of a reality show that is known only to a select few intelligence agencies.

[Srikcir]

3 minutes ago, Tailwagsdog said:

Why does the US just go after Assange, the US media incl Murdoch published the secrets, so are they not guilty as well? 

If the US indicts Assange it will be for conspiracy to commit and/or aiding and abetting a crime of US property theft (aka computer theft).

That would be distinguished for any publication by US media that did not take part in such conspiracy, including any foreknowledge of such criminal intent.

[Basil B]

31 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

If the US indicts Assange it will be for conspiracy to commit and/or aiding and abetting a crime of US property theft (aka computer theft).

That would be distinguished for any publication by US media that did not take part in such conspiracy, including any foreknowledge of such criminal intent.

If the US decided that he had done nothing wrong then they would need to pardon Nixon for his part in Watergate.