Ecuador Could Decide On Assenge'S Asylum Request On Thursday

[Ulysses G.]

Well Assange certainly isn't and never will be until turns himself into the authorities to face the sex charges.

[midas]

A new nationwide poll finds that a majority of Australians believe Julian Assange should not be prosecuted for Wikileaks' release of leaked cables and would not receive a fair trial if he was ever extradited to the United States - this, most intriguingly, despite the fact that most people don't actually like Assange, with just 40% having a favorable view of him. The head of the company that did the poll explained the support for Assange, currently seeking asylum in Ecuador, in terms of Australians' historic empathy for the underdog.

If Assange was extradited, his popularity would likely increase "due to an underdog effect, more prominent in Australia than other countries...The lack of confidence in the ability of the US judicial system to deliver a fair result has resonated with the Australian public and its sense of fair play.” - John Utting.

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2012/08/08-7

[Scott]

The attitude of Australians is of interest, but let's try to stay on the topic of his asylum claim and his status with Ecuador.

[midas]

If Ecuadore refuses asylum, Assange has to face charges for jumping bail and go to Sweden for questioning about rape before he has to worry about the other charges in question.

based on this article I would say the decision has already been made

Ecuador’s Coming Decision on Julian Assange’s Asylum Request

Statements made by both Correa and Patiño seem to favor Assange. Patiño told the press on July 5 he found the sexual assault allegations against Assange to be “hilarious” because they stem from a broken condom. On June 22, Correa said, “In Ecuador, if someone had done one hundredth of what has been done to Assange, they would be called dictators and oppressors.”

It would be a kind of poetic justice if the human rights lawyer the US government tried to shut down was able to make the legal maneuvers necessary so that Assange could eventually have a safe passage to Ecuador from the United Kingdom. Correa, Patino and other officials laud the truth-telling power of WikiLeaks, are sympathetic to the fears of Assange and willing to assert their sovereign power to ensure Assange’s human rights are not violated.

http://dissenter.fir...asylum-request/

Edited August 9, 2012 by midas

[Ulysses G.]

Looks like pure speculation to me.

[koheesti]

If Ecuadore refuses asylum, Assange has to face charges for jumping bail and go to Sweden for questioning about rape before he has to worry about the other charges in question.

based on this article I would say the decision has already been made

Ecuador’s Coming Decision on Julian Assange’s Asylum Request

Statements made by both Correa and Patiño seem to favor Assange. Patiño told the press on July 5 he found the sexual assault allegations against Assange to be “hilarious” because they stem from a broken condom. On June 22, Correa said, “In Ecuador, if someone had done one hundredth of what has been done to Assange, they would be called dictators and oppressors.”

So some 3rd Worlders don't like the Swedish law about rape and condoms? I bet. Assange can surely get away with a heckuva lot more in Ecuador than he ever could in 1st world countries.

[Ulysses G.]

If they could figure out how to get him to the airport without him being arrested for jumping bail.

[maidu]

what's the latest? Is he still holed up in the embassy?

[midas]

Looks like pure speculation to me.

no more speculative than your repeated assertions that he is guilty of some sex crime?

http://ferrada-noli.blogspot.com/2011/02/karl-rove-sweden-and-eight-major.html

[midas]

If they could figure out how to get him to the airport without him being arrested for jumping bail.

considering that is a £60 offence I firmly believe with the direct involvement

of the Pres and Foreign Minister of another country they will be able to get over the small hurdle

[midas]

what's the latest? Is he still holed up in the embassy?

A decision as to whether he will be granted asylum is expected to be made after Sunday.

http://www.townsvill...52521_news.html

Edited August 10, 2012 by midas

[midas]

If they could figure out how to get him to the airport without him being arrested for jumping bail.

A top Spanish lawyer acting for the Wikilieaks founder Julian Assange says Britain would have to allow Assange safe passage to Ecuador - should the South American country offers him asylum.

Edited August 10, 2012 by midas

[theslime]

I have read in History how the Defenders of liberty have succumbed to the weight of Slander, and it never will end. The amount of Suffering the just face to make the World better makes me so Sad, but all so very happy to be Human and that brave Julian is part of a long line of truely Heroic people that have put their head on the block to tell it like it is. Who amongst us would take on US and not be scared of dying at the hands of their red neck Zealots.

[Scott]

Let's stick to the topic. I have yet to read anywhere that the US actually wants him, but that is not the topic of this thread. It's about his asylum claim with Ecuador.

[chuckd]

" Who amongst us would take on US and not be scared of dying at the hands of their red neck Zealots. "

[Steely Dan]

" Who amongst us would take on US and not be scared of dying at the hands of their red neck Zealots. "

Squeal little piggy squeal.

[Ulysses G.]

If they could figure out how to get him to the airport without him being arrested for jumping bail.

considering that is a £60 offence I firmly believe with the direct involvement

of the Pres and Foreign Minister of another country they will be able to get over the small hurdle

He is not only wanted for jumping bail, but also for questioning in sex crimes in Sweden that he jumped bail to avoid in England. Sex crimes are no "small hurdle" which is why he jumped bail and is hiding in the embassy of another country.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[midas]

If they could figure out how to get him to the airport without him being arrested for jumping bail.

considering that is a £60 offence I firmly believe with the direct involvement

of the Pres and Foreign Minister of another country they will be able to get over the small hurdle

He is not only wanted for jumping bail, but also for questioning in sex crimes in Sweden that he jumped bail to avoid in England. Sex crimes are no "small hurdle" which is why he jumped bail and is hiding in the embassy of another country.

in England the only crime he has committed under English law is skipping bail which is a £60 offence. The English have no interest whatsoever in commenting or considering about the silly little laws of Sweden Edited August 10, 2012 by midas

[Ulysses G.]

Of course the English are considering the laws of Sweden. That is why he was arrested and initially refused bail. When he finally got it, he violated it. He not only has to face justice in England, but Sweden as well and if he leaves the embassy that he is hiding out in, he will be arrested yet again and sent to Sweden to be questioned on sex charges.

The founder of whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been refused bail by a court in London but vowed to fight extradition to Sweden.

Mr Assange denies sexually assaulting two women in Sweden. He was remanded in custody pending a hearing next week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11937110

Edited August 10, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[midas]

If Ecuador grants refugee status, he also would automatically be under the protection of the High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations (UNHCR, for its acronym in English).

In the extreme case that London denies the pass, the UNHCR could intervene and join in the request for that document. Politically it would be difficult to deny a request to UK by a United Nations agency.

http://www.support-j...ogle-translate/

Edited August 10, 2012 by midas

[Scott]

Is Ecuador a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees and the protocols?

[GiHadOrange]

If Ecuador grants refugee status, he also would automatically be under the protection of the High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations (UNHCR, for its acronym in English).

In the extreme case that London denies the pass, the UNHCR could intervene and join in the request for that document. Politically it would be difficult to deny a request to UK by a United Nations agency.

http://www.support-j...ogle-translate/

The legal aspect in the question if the police would arrest him or not is pretty clear and that was it right from the beginning.

[Ulysses G.]

If Ecuador grants refugee status, he also would automatically be under the protection of the High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations (UNHCR, for its acronym in English).

In the extreme case that London denies the pass, the UNHCR could intervene and join in the request for that document. Politically it would be difficult to deny a request to UK by a United Nations agency.

http://www.support-j...ogle-translate/

If one reads the article, it sounds like just more unfounded speculation by his supporters.

“The British do not recognize the Convention and if we ask to be given safe conduct (special permission to leave the Embassy in London to the airport, take a plane and come to Ecuador) they would deny it because they recognize the inter-American system,” says the professor

Edited August 10, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Scott]

The UN system of status determination is fairly specific in what it covers as qualifying for refugee status. One of the things that it does not cover is those that are fleeing prosecution.

Any country can grant asylum to anyone it wants, but that does not mean the UN or any other country has to recognize that status determination. The US historically has granted asylum to groups of people whom the UN did not consider to be genuine refugees. Some of the Vietnamese fell into this category as did some of the Kurds from Iraq.

Those people were not necessarily accorded unimpeded travel through or out of countries.

Assange could have asked for political asylum from the UK and requested protection from the UN.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Scott

[midas]

The UN system of status determination is fairly specific in what it covers as qualifying for refugee status. One of the things that it does not cover is those that are fleeing prosecution.

Any country can grant asylum to anyone it wants, but that does not mean the UN or any other country has to recognize that status determination. The US historically has granted asylum to groups of people whom the UN did not consider to be genuine refugees. Some of the Vietnamese fell into this category as did some of the Kurds from Iraq.

Those people were not necessarily accorded unimpeded travel through or out of countries.

Assange could have asked for political asylum from the UK and requested protection from the UN.

but surely he is not fleeing prosecution because it hasn't got that far? he is fleeing an arrest warrant to send him

to Sweden merely for the purposes of interviewing him. Sweden were given ample opportunity to conduct

such interview at the Ecuador embassy but not only did they refuse but they didn't even give reasons for

such refusal. I think the reason the former Spanish judge who is representing him is so confident

on his passage from the UK is the defence team will be able to show Sweden had no real excuse

to refuse the offer to interview him in the UK, but in addition his defence team will be able to

demonstrate that it is just a ploy to get him to Sweden and then send him on to USA.

Edited August 10, 2012 by midas

[midas]

Is Ecuador a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees and the protocols?

according to this yes

Ecuador is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention. Under Article 1A(2) of the Convention, a person is a ‘refugee’ and must be granted asylum if ‘…owing to well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.’

http://ffgqc.wordpre...-asylum-seeker/

Edited August 10, 2012 by midas

[Ulysses G.]

None of that applies to Assange. He is just trying to evade Swedish and English law.

[midas]

Of course the English are considering the laws of Sweden. That is why he was arrested and initially refused bail. When he finally got it, he violated it. He not only has to face justice in England, but Sweden as well and if he leaves the embassy that he is hiding out in, he will be arrested yet again and sent to Sweden to be questioned on sex charges.

The founder of whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been refused bail by a court in London but vowed to fight extradition to Sweden.

Mr Assange denies sexually assaulting two women in Sweden. He was remanded in custody pending a hearing next week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11937110

he was arrested under the terms of a European Arrest Warrant and that is all

[Ulysses G.]

Yes, he was arrested. That is the point. He jumped bail and now is wanted for that as well as questioning for sex crimes.

[midas]

Yes, he was arrested. That is the point. He jumped bail and now is wanted for that as well as questioning for sex crimes.

But the only law he has broken in UK is to jump bail penalty £60

One lawyer reckons seeking Political Asylum nullifies any claims he broke any UK bail agreement.