Assange claims he was tortured in UK prison - media

[webfact]

Assange claims he was tortured in UK prison - media

LONDON: -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said that he had been tortured in the British prison prior to getting asylum with Ecuador embassy in London, Ecuadorian news agency Andes reported.

"I was detained without official charges. I spent five days without charges in a horrible prison in the UK.

My health was very poor then, and they applied electricity to my shins," Assange was quoted as saying during the joint press conference with Ecuadorian Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patino on Thursday.

Ecuador vowed asylum offer to Assange was for the long term.

"We will protect Julian Assange as long as necessary and as long as he wants," Patino said.

Britain's Supreme Court ruled in 2012 to extradite WikiLeaks founder to Sweden over alleged sex crimes, although WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said he clearly saw Washington's hand in the ruling.

Full story: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_20/Assange-claims-he-was-tortured-in-UK-prison-media-9340/


-- Voice of Russia 2014-06-20

[AGareth2]

shocking!!!

[Credo]

Is this leaked information?

I doubt very much that the UK is into torture and I doubt he would have waited this long to mention it.

[Basil B]

Physical torture, the lying b****rd...

If this sort of thing happens in UK prisons their would be a lot more saying it happened to them.

not even that scum bag Abu Hamza made such claims.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Basil B

[TVGerry]

Lying sack of crap. If he really did get tortured, a whiner like him would have told about it long ago instead of waiting so long.

He just wants to be in the spotlight again.

[Trentham]

Is this leaked information?

I doubt very much that the UK is into torture and I doubt he would have waited this long to mention it.

You should read history.

[mosquitobill]

I was a Prison Officer for 25yrs in the Uk and served in many prisons including all the famous London prisons and this <deleted> is talking a load of <deleted>.

[ukrules]

Ever heard of tasers / stun guns ? Their official use is growing in the UK on a daily basis. I suspect this is what he was talking about.

Of course these are classed as an illegal weapon in the UK for everyone apart from 'the authorities', however the authorities are allowed to use illegal weapons whenever they want to. Just owning one can get you a prison sentence but it's ok for the police to use them to ensure compliance.

I suspect Assange didn't feel very cooperative which is within his rights.

[ukrules]

I was a Prison Officer for 25yrs in the Uk and served in many prisons including all the famous London prisons and this <deleted> is talking a load of <deleted>.

Don't you think things could have changed a little since then ?

I suspect he was interviewed by some security type who bought a stun gun with him. Is that so hard to believe ?

Edit : He may not have been held in a proper prison either as he wasn't sentenced.

Edited June 20, 2014 by ukrules

[Suradit69]

shocking!!!

"I was detained without official charges. I spent five days without charges in a horrible prison in the UK.

Well in the spirit of the typical Thai Visa comments in such situations: Sounds like someone didn't get his tea money.

[Trentham]

Physical torture, the lying b****rd...

If this sort of thing happens in UK prisons their would be a lot more saying it happened to them.

not even that scum bag Abu Hamza made such claims.

Because they cut his his tongue out I guess.

[Credo]

Is this leaked information?

I doubt very much that the UK is into torture and I doubt he would have waited this long to mention it.

You should read history.

I've read quite a bit of history, but the modern history of the UK do not include frequent doses of torture. The history of Mr. Assange doesn't include him holding back on dropping information.

Thus the conclusion that the one who is not to be believe is Mr. Assange.

[thumper101]

Ever heard of tasers / stun guns ? Their official use is growing in the UK on a daily basis. I suspect this is what he was talking about.

Of course these are classed as an illegal weapon in the UK for everyone apart from 'the authorities', however the authorities are allowed to use illegal weapons whenever they want to. Just owning one can get you a prison sentence but it's ok for the police to use them to ensure compliance.

I suspect Assange didn't feel very cooperative which is within his rights.

Are you on drugs or what?

The UK are hardly going to commit internationally banned procedures against the biggest 'whistle blower' the world has ever seen.

Also, if you have watched the movie about his life and how he put together wikileaks, you will see that he was actually also a well practiced liar and that even his associates all turned their backs on him because they clearly realised the guy was completely insane.

[harrry]

Is this leaked information?

I doubt very much that the UK is into torture and I doubt he would have waited this long to mention it.

You should read history.

I've read quite a bit of history, but the modern history of the UK do not include frequent doses of torture. The history of Mr. Assange doesn't include him holding back on dropping information.

Thus the conclusion that the one who is not to be believe is Mr. Assange.

So the story of Northern Ireand is a myth or ancient history?

[ukrules]

Ever heard of tasers / stun guns ? Their official use is growing in the UK on a daily basis. I suspect this is what he was talking about.

Of course these are classed as an illegal weapon in the UK for everyone apart from 'the authorities', however the authorities are allowed to use illegal weapons whenever they want to. Just owning one can get you a prison sentence but it's ok for the police to use them to ensure compliance.

I suspect Assange didn't feel very cooperative which is within his rights.

Are you on drugs or what?

The UK are hardly going to commit internationally banned procedures against the biggest 'whistle blower' the world has ever seen.

Also, if you have watched the movie about his life and how he put together wikileaks, you will see that he was actually also a well practiced liar and that even his associates all turned their backs on him because they clearly realised the guy was completely insane.

Well the British government have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep watch on him since before he went into the embassy, why should I believe they wouldn't go to extraordinary lengths to extract information from him when they had the chance.

His case is a 'one off' and we all know he wouldn't have been interrogated by the average police officer don't we...

Edited June 20, 2014 by ukrules

[Credo]

Is this leaked information?

I doubt very much that the UK is into torture and I doubt he would have waited this long to mention it.

You should read history.

I've read quite a bit of history, but the modern history of the UK do not include frequent doses of torture. The history of Mr. Assange doesn't include him holding back on dropping information.

Thus the conclusion that the one who is not to be believe is Mr. Assange.

So the story of Northern Ireand is a myth or ancient history?

It's not relevant to this discussion. How long has been in the Embassy? How many interviews has he had? He's had press conferences, no one has muzzled him. In his search for asylum, did he claim torture?

[gchurch259]

Is this leaked information?

I doubt very much that the UK is into torture and I doubt he would have waited this long to mention it.

You should read history.

He was not detained in history !! In history I expect every country used this means to get the information needed. I do not agree with it, but I am not sure how many bad guys care about what people thing.

[Trentham]

Is this leaked information?

I doubt very much that the UK is into torture and I doubt he would have waited this long to mention it.

You should read history.

I've read quite a bit of history, but the modern history of the UK do not include frequent doses of torture. The history of Mr. Assange doesn't include him holding back on dropping information.

Thus the conclusion that the one who is not to be believe is Mr. Assange.

Well he has told the truth about a lot of people now. That is why they hate him.

[klauskunkel]

they applied electricity to my shins," Assange was quoted as saying

static electricity from the feather "they" tickled him with?

[Jim walker]

I don’t believe a word of it he manages to blab everything out you would not need to use torture to get information from him he just loves the lime light look at me me listen to me me I am the man of the oppressed people in the world it’s me me, he might be trying to get a daily spot on Ecuador TV the Julian Assange show along the same lines as the Jeremy Kyle show his bad experiences with woman.

[Chicog]

Stupid boy just destroyed any credibility he might have had.

If I were Ecuador I'd just hand him over to avoid further embarrassment.

[sanuk711]

I was a Prison Officer for 25yrs in the Uk and served in many prisons including all the famous London prisons and this <deleted> is talking a load of <deleted>.

Well if you were in the scubs around 90s, then you would have been one of the over 160 prison officers who were under investigation after one of them turned whistle blower on his colleges & reported it to the Guardian newspaper.

More than 160 prison officers were involved in inflicting and covering up a regime of torture

which saw savage beatings, death threats and sexual assault inflicted on inmates, a secret

report reveals today.The Guardian has learned full details of the Prison Service's reports

on a nine-year reign of terror at Wormwood Scrubs in west London. Many incidents which

the Prison Service had publicly refused to admit are acknowledged in the reports,

which remained confidential until now http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/nov/13/prisonsandprobation.topstories3

You would have to live in La-la Land not to think that brutality did not exist in British prisons--that last exposure from one of the UK leading newspapers is just one of many over the years, however these people tend to pry on the weak & unconnected, I was surprised to read J.Assange claims, because of his high profile connections & because of the time delay.

[ukrules]

Assange uses the information he has when it's good for Assange, he's thinking of only himself.

There will be a reason for releasing this information now it's just that we don't know what it is yet.

[thumper101]

Ever heard of tasers / stun guns ? Their official use is growing in the UK on a daily basis. I suspect this is what he was talking about.

Of course these are classed as an illegal weapon in the UK for everyone apart from 'the authorities', however the authorities are allowed to use illegal weapons whenever they want to. Just owning one can get you a prison sentence but it's ok for the police to use them to ensure compliance.

I suspect Assange didn't feel very cooperative which is within his rights.

Are you on drugs or what?

The UK are hardly going to commit internationally banned procedures against the biggest 'whistle blower' the world has ever seen.

Also, if you have watched the movie about his life and how he put together wikileaks, you will see that he was actually also a well practiced liar and that even his associates all turned their backs on him because they clearly realised the guy was completely insane.

Well the British government have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep watch on him since before he went into the embassy, why should I believe they wouldn't go to extraordinary lengths to extract information from him when they had the chance.

His case is a 'one off' and we all know he wouldn't have been interrogated by the average police officer don't we...

No...

There has been no need to torture him, or even interrogate him.

He isn't a spy... he just set up a system to leak official secrets and info to the public.

For a man who claims that the people should always know the truth... why would you think he has some 'information' that the British would be desperate for???

It does not make any sense. For someone who is obsessed with freedom of information, you are telling us he is actually concealing information so much it requires 'torture'????

You are miles off the mark.... The guy is a compulsive liar, and even deceived his closest wikileaks colleagues to the point they realised he was full of shit and a complete menace to national security.

If anything, he ought to be feeling lucky that he is still alive and not been bumped off by the CIA by now, because people already have been for much less.

Some people have died because of this nut job.... He admits that himself...

Edited June 20, 2014 by thumper101

[Scott]

Off-topic and inflammatory posts have been deleted.

[Robert24]

If this is true, one has to ask Assange why he didn't file a police report right after his release from prison. And it's still not clear whether he actually filed a police report now, ,looks like he only published it in the press.

[mrtoad]

If this is true, one has to ask Assange why he didn't file a police report right after his release from prison. And it's still not clear whether he actually filed a police report now, ,looks like he only published it in the press.

It sounds like a total crock of crap. I'm ex HMP staff and there is no way this would have happened. Attention seeking bell end is Assange.

[midas]

I was a Prison Officer for 25yrs in the Uk and served in many prisons including all the famous London prisons and this <deleted> is talking a load of <deleted>.

Well if you were in the scubs around 90s, then you would have been one of the over 160 prison officers who were under investigation after one of them turned whistle blower on his colleges & reported it to the Guardian newspaper.

More than 160 prison officers were involved in inflicting and covering up a regime of torture

which saw savage beatings, death threats and sexual assault inflicted on inmates, a secret

report reveals today.The Guardian has learned full details of the Prison Service's reports

on a nine-year reign of terror at Wormwood Scrubs in west London. Many incidents which

the Prison Service had publicly refused to admit are acknowledged in the reports,

which remained confidential until now http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/nov/13/prisonsandprobation.topstories3

You would have to live in La-la Land not to think that brutality did not exist in British prisons--that last exposure from one of the UK leading newspapers is just one of many over the years, however these people tend to pry on the weak & unconnected, I was surprised to read J.Assange claims, because of his high profile connections & because of the time delay.

Thank you for that Sanuk.

At least you haven't been drinking Kool-Aid

in fact, the prison service has settled more than 30 cases out of court and has been forced to pay a total of £1.7 million in compensation. But of even more significance is that in 14 of the cases, the prison service “submitted to judgment.” This amounted to an admission that it had no defence against the claims brought and would not contest numerous allegations of beatings, mock executions, death threats and other abuses by staff.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/01/pris-j15.html

[tw25rw]

I doubt it happened. He isn't even wanted in the UK. It's voice of Russia, so who know if he even said it.

[Basil B]

My health was very poor then, and they applied electricity to my shins," Assange was quoted as saying during the joint press conference with Ecuadorian Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patino on Thursday.

Tying people up and sticking electrodes on them just does not happen in UK prisons, unless the are in cardiac arrest.

I was a Prison Officer for 25yrs in the Uk and served in many prisons including all the famous London prisons and this <deleted> is talking a load of <deleted>.

My greatest respect to you, I have visited a number of prisons and can say as someone visiting an inmate I was very pleased to see a very professional and polite, and even helpful attitude by all prison warders I encountered, given the abuse they got not just from inmates but some of the visitors as well your job must have not been pleasant at times.

Ever heard of tasers / stun guns ? Their official use is growing in the UK on a daily basis. I suspect this is what he was talking about.

Of course these are classed as an illegal weapon in the UK for everyone apart from 'the authorities', however the authorities are allowed to use illegal weapons whenever they want to. Just owning one can get you a prison sentence but it's ok for the police to use them to ensure compliance.

I suspect Assange didn't feel very cooperative which is within his rights.

Bull Shit... Unless things have changed in the last few years only police officers approved to carry firearms are allowed to use them, so if there was a instance that the needed to use one in a prison they would have to call in a firearms officer, I am sure the prison service can deal with the worst prisoner without the use of a tasser.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Basil B