Embassy reveals sum spent keeping Assange safe

[struggle4progress]

Julian Assange’s seven-year stay in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London cost the South American country $A9 million (£5 million), it has emerged.

Foreign Minister Jose Valencia released the figures as he detailed the money that had been spent on keeping the 47-year-old Wikileaks founder after he entered the embassy on August 16 2012 ...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6919279/Corbyn-says-Assange-answer-questions-sexual-allegations.html

[struggle4progress]

1. The awkward stay

Esther Addley
Thu 11 Apr 2019 09.26 EDT

... An office was repurposed as a bedroom and workspace, but he was forced, initially at least, to sleep on a mattress on the floor, sharing a bathroom and with access only to a tiny basic kitchen ...

... even the apparent resolution of that seven-year legal standoff did not persuade Assange to leave the embassy, despite reports that the Obama administration had concluded it would not be able to prosecute him ...

... Moreno had described Assange as a “stone in the shoe”, but said before his election that he could remain in the embassy if he agreed to abide by certain conditions ...

Moreno later ordered the removal of an additional multimillion-pound security operation set up by his predecessor to protect Assange. In July last year the president said that Assange would ultimately have to leave the embassy, and by October the Australian was suing his hosts, saying their conditions for his stay violated his “fundamental rights and freedoms”. On Wednesday, WikiLeaks held a press conference to say it had uncovered a surveillance operation against him in the embassy, leading to private legal and medical information being offered for sale in what it said was an extortion attempt ...

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/11/how-ecuador-lost-patience-with-houseguest-julian-assange

[struggle4progress]

2. Timeline

April 11, 2019, 11:18 AM EDT
By Ben Kesslen

... August 2014: Assange promises he will leave the embassy “soon” ...

Feb 2018: Assange loses bid to get British arrest warrant dropped.

March 2018: Ecuador cuts off Assange’s communications, saying he is not permitted to send messages that could interfere with its relations with other countries.

October 2018: Assange sues Ecuador over his new asylum terms, which require him to pay for his expenses and clean up after his cat ...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/julian-assange-timeline-wikileaks-founder-ecuadorian-embassy-n993351

[panader0]

3. How in the world can it cost more than a million a year

to house him?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. WiFi costs. For that money, they must have Comcast. nt

[ProudLib72]

4. Probably should have sold autographed pictures to offset the cost

There are enough deranged idiots out there it could have worked.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. And I still don't understand why they of all people let him stay there. Was there any ...

anticipation of payback or the like for the Embassy to let him stay there? Other than perhaps, to stick out its thumb at the US...the US is not well liked in some South American quarters (probably because of our invasive behavior over the last 150 years or so), but as to each one of us, as a person, they love us...I've been there and enjoyed it very much, got to visit some magnificent places in Peru and stay with family down there.

[struggle4progress]

7. It involved a political division in Ecuador

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Thanks. Was curious. I don't hear very many good things about Assange. Take care! nt