Julian Assange looks for deal to end 'diplomatic isolation'

in #happen6 years ago

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London (CNN)Julian Assange walked into the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on June 19, 2012 to claim political asylum. He has been there ever since -- a total of 2,230 days -- rarely seeing daylight. But multiple sources say his situation is now untenable and he may soon leave, whether he wants to or not.

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The question is: what will happen to Assange as and when he does walk out of his bolt-hole around the corner from Harrods?
The recent indictments issued by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller imply that Assange and WikiLeaks were a conduit for Russian intelligence in distributing hacked Democratic Party emails in 2016.
According to the indictment document, "The conspirators (...) discussed the release of the stolen documents and the timing of those releases with Organisation 1 to heighten their impact."

His lawyers argue that all Assange did was publish the hacked emails, as did other media, after being in contact with a hacker called Guccifer 2.0. The Special Counsel alleges that Guccifer 2.0 was a cover for Russian intelligence, saying in the indictment that on July 14th [2016], Guccifer 2.0 sent WikiLeaks an encrypted attachment that contained "instructions on how to access an online archive of stolen DNC documents."
Whether a sealed indictment awaits Assange in relation to the Russian hacking investigation is unknown. But according to US officials, charges have been drawn up relating to previous WikiLeaks disclosures of classified US documents.
Assange would face arrest if/when he leaves the embassy because he skipped bail in 2012 -- when Swedish authorities were seeking his extradition to face accusations of rape. Last year Sweden suspended the investigation, but Assange's lawyers fear his arrest would be swiftly followed by a US extradition request. Assange maintains his innocence.
"For us protecting him from US extradition is absolutely paramount, and the most important and fundamental principle that must be respected," Robinson told CNN this week.
"There should never be a situation where a publisher is sent to the US to face prosecution for that activity, so we will, if forced, fight his extradition in the British Courts."
Stone said dinner with Assange was 'shtick'

Stone said dinner with Assange was 'shtick' 03:45
The Ecuadorean government wants the case resolved. Ecuador's recently elected president, Lenín Moreno said in Madrid Friday that his government was in dialogue with the UK and wanted a solution that guaranteed Assange's life would not be in danger. He described Assange's long confinement as "against human rights."
Downing Street confirmed discussions were "ongoing."
Moreno has previously described Assange as an "inherited problem" (his predecessor Rafael Correa granted Assange asylum.) But in a statement last week, the Ecuadorean Foreign Ministry said it saw no immediate or long-term solution to the situation.

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