WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested by British police after being evicted from Ecuador's embas

[hlthe2b]

Last edited Thu Apr 11, 2019, 06:20 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested by British police after being evicted from Ecuador's embassy in London

Assange initially sought asylum in 2012 to fend off extradition to Sweden, where he faced sexual assault allegations. Ecuador accepted Assange and ultimately granted him citizenship.

In May 2017, Swedish authorities dropped the sexual assault investigation. But Assange refused to leave the embassy for fear of extradition to the United States, which is investigating him for espionage. He also faced arrest by British police for breaching bail conditions.

In July 2016, WikiLeaks released thousands of emails that had been stolen from the Democratic National Committee by a cyber-hack that U.S. intelligence officials concluded was orchestrated by the Russian government.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.




Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2019/04/11/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arrested-by-british-police-after-being-evicted-from-ecuadors-embassy-in-london/?utm_term=.a9171933f982

---

WOW

Edited to add photo:

[stonecutter357]

1. good

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Was just about to post

link - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2019/04/11/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arrested-by-british-police-after-being-evicted-from-ecuadors-embassy-in-london/?utm_term=.3afa0d5d4f08

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested by British police after being evicted from Ecuador’s embassy in London


By Washington Post Staff
April 11 at 5:43 AM

Assange initially sought asylum in 2012 to fend off extradition to Sweden, where he faced sexual assault allegations. Ecuador accepted Assange and ultimately granted him citizenship.

In May 2017, Swedish authorities dropped the sexual assault investigation. But Assange refused to leave the embassy for fear of extradition to the United States, which is investigating him for espionage. He also faced arrest by British police for breaching bail conditions.

In July 2016, WikiLeaks released thousands of emails that had been stolen from the Democratic National Committee by a cyber-hack that U.S. intelligence officials concluded was orchestrated by the Russian government.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

[OldManTarHeel]

3. Awesome News to Wake Up to this AM

[Rhiannon12866]

4. About time!

[happybird]

5. Woohoo! It's about damn time

Not much up from BBC yet, just that he's been arrested and this bit:

"The Metropolitan Police said he had been taken into custody and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court "as soon as is possible".

ETA: they keep updating every few minutes:

BBC News - Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder arrested in London
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47891737

[pnwmom]

6. Photos show him being dragged out. He's the guy with the white beard.

https://gizmodo.com/julian-assange-dragged-out-of-ecuadorian-embassy-and-ar-1833964012?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_twitter

[Scurrilous]

9. LOL

"...British police seemed to be smirking as he was loaded into a large police vehicle."

[LenaBaby61]

12. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested at London's Ecuadorian embassy.

"...British police seemed to be smirking as he was loaded into a large police vehicle."

Were they smirking because they arrested him, or were they righteously trying to BREATHE.

I hear that Hillary-hating, filthy pig has HIDEOUS BODY ODOR

He looks 75 years old

[MH1]

73. Yeah the article says 47, but damn, he looks way older than that.

I've seen 70 year olds that look more like 47 than he does.

[happybird]

11. "UK must resist!!1!"

Piss off, dude.

[KitSileya]

7. It's about bleedign time!

Too bad he won't be tried in Sweden, but his mercenary work for Putin should definitely be prosecuted.

[zipplewrath]

46. This Administration?

You really think that his administration will charge him with anything associate with Putin? You think they'll do anything to help with the trial of Stone? If he goes to trial, it will be over the release of classified information from previous administrations.

[KitSileya]

98. No, I don't think he'll be charged by the Trump admin, unfortunately.

They cheer on wikileaks now it turns out it attacked the Democratic party and not the Republican party. Unfortunately too many people on the left were fooled by wikileaks too - even I cheered on the idea of getting the truth out, even if I never supported Assange. Just remember how many people here had no problems with their hack of the DNC since some of the emails showed they were audacious enough to assume Clinton was the presumptive nominee after her opponent had absolutely no mathematically viable way to win.

[hlthe2b]

8. BBC: Ecuador's president Moreno said it withdrew Mr Assange's asylum after his repeated violations

to international conventions.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: "I can confirm Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the UK.

"I would like to thank Ecuador for its cooperation & metpoliceuk for its professionalism. No one is above the law."

Mr Assange, 47, had refused to leave the embassy, claiming if he did he would be extradited to the United States for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47891737

[Bigredhunk]

10. :-)

[cureautismnow]

13. Get him to testify before the House...

...before they send him up the river.

[lamp_shade]

14. Is he holding a book?

[Ponietz]

15. Arrested carrying a Gore Vidal book?

[hlthe2b]

19. Gore Vidal: History of the National Security State

[Ponietz]

23. Thanks

The naked mole rat is still in character trying to divide the left.

[2naSalit]

24. +1

[dewsgirl]

38. Is he in a wheelchair? Thanks for posting this.

[Chin music]

102. If he is...

maybe he injured himself skateboarding in the embassy. For sure he didn't hurt himself cleaning the place.

[Ghost Dog]

44. Gore Vidal...

... is well-known for his condemnations of what he called the American Empire (a phrase he began parsing in 1958), and a condition he dates partially to the Spanish-American War of 1898-99 but especially following World War II when, from Vidal’s perspective, Germany, Japan, and others became client-states of the USA. In these conversations he also takes pains to “explicate” his grievances with the “national security state,” a phrase that strums throughout as a Vidalian mantra. Although he clearly believes that the NSS is working all too well, he asserts that little else is. Speaking in 2000, he declared that “four years from now there may not be an election. Everything has just ground to a halt. The second law of thermodynamics is working beautifully, entropy is up ahead. Nothing is working in this country. Representative government has stopped.” ...

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/gore-vidal-redux/

[machI]

16. Assange will be extradited to the United States

Assange will the be placed in captivity where he will be kept 'on ice' until after the 2020 election. There will be no official report on any interrogations until after the point of maximum damage has passed.

[amuse bouche]

17. Yikes..47 years old?

Looks like sitting around on your rear, is not anti aging.

[47of74]

21. Yeah that struck me too.

He’s only three years older than I am but looks to be almost ten times that in this photo.

I guess bring a Russian agent and all around asshole will do that to a person.

[2naSalit]

25. His hair is white, was when he was 30...

so that's his natural color.

[dewsgirl]

30. It's not just that.

[47of74]

68. Right

It's not just his hair color. His overall appearance and bearing here is of someone much older than 47.

[yonder]

78. That boy needs a bit of sun. It likely won't be happening anytime soon.

[orangecrush]

18. GOOD

[irisblue]

20. About the Cat...

Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) Tweeted:
For those concerned about Assange’s cat (which was part of the tension w/ his Ecuadorian hosts), he reportedly gave the cat away a while ago. https://t.co/vcqgBSgQ26

Link to tweet

[marble falls]

59. Believe it or not, that was truly my one big concern in all of this. Assange is an agent ...

in his own destruction, but that cat did nothing to anyone.

[hlthe2b]

64. Me too.

[obamanut2012]

66. Same -- I even emailed the Embassy about it

But heard nothing back!

[marble falls]

69. It worried me when all of a sudden the news wasn't mentioning that cat, epecially ...

after Assange's inability to keep a litter box clean became an issue for the Ecuadorians

[brooklynite]

22. If you know you're going to be arrested in front of TV cameras...

...why don't you clean up a bit and walk out unescorted -- looking as if you're innocent?

[2naSalit]

27. He must be

a wannabe graduate of the DJT school of acting... it's all about the drama, baby.

[dewsgirl]

35. This has been predicted on Twitter since last week.

He has tons of "fans" (half of which are bots, I'm sure) saying all types of looney stuff. Like the US wants to torture him, we are going to put him in Guantanamo, etc....
I'm sure it was all part of the plan to gain sympathy, support, etc.

[gldstwmn]

103. His lawyer was posting video of

undercover cops parked outside the embassy on Twitter.

[joshcryer]

36. Because he cried wolf hundreds of times before this.

He probably didn't really think he'd be arrested.

[yardwork]

85. So much more attention if you act like a drama queen. He's being oppressed!!!

[Denzil_DC]

26. Some background from Twitter:

James Ball is a journalist who was at one time a Wikileaks staffer, but grew seriously disaffected by Assange's running of it:

Link to tweet

James Ball ✔
@jamesrbuk

Key line in the Met statement on Assange: “invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum”.

He’s currently only arrested on the charge of breach of bail. The big question is which others may follow.

James Ball ✔
@jamesrbuk

It is still possible for Sweden to reactivate his case there – on the rape allegation alone – and issue a fresh EAW.

Assange could also face an extradition request from the US, over the 2010 Manning disclosures, the 2016 DNC leaks, or other activity.

Link to tweet

James Ball ✔
@jamesrbuk

This is carefully phrased: Ecuador sought and received guarantees Assange wouldn’t be extradited where he could face “torture or the death penalty”.

That doesn’t rule out US extradition – it just means the US would have to rule out the death penalty.

James Ball ✔
@jamesrbuk

That’s an easy guarantee for the UK to give, as it’s essentially impossible for an EU country to extradite someone to face the death penalty under existing human rights law anyway.

Assange should be glad that Brexit's stalled.

Link to tweet

Joe Murphy ✔
@JoeMurphyLondon

Negotiations for Assange's ejection were masterminded by Foreign Office minister @AlanDuncanMP who tells @eveningstandard:

"He had become increasingly rude about the Ecuadorian government. As ever he has been the master of his own downfall."

Link to tweet

Ben Quinn ✔
@BenQuinn75

And with the headlines in mind

Sajid Javid ✔
@sajidjavid

Nearly 7yrs after entering the Ecuadorean Embassy, I can confirm Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the UK. I would like to thank Ecuador for its cooperation & @metpoliceuk for its professionalism. No one is above the law

Link to tweet

The Associated Press ✔
@AP

The Latest: Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says Russia wants Julian Assange's rights to be observed following his arrest.

Thanks for your concern, Vlad. We know you're always worried about the welfare of journalists.

[FakeNoose]

58. Death penalty?! Is this for real?

Assange would never face a death penalty in the US, no matter what charges would be brought against him. For that matter, he can count on a pardon as long as Chump is in the White House. After that, it's anybody's guess. I'm sure Assange's lawyers have already explored these possibilities. The big problem for Assange is how does he pay these lawyers, and I'm sure he's trying to hit up some fat-cat (Russian) donors for help. It's hard to do while being trapped in an embassy though.

[Siwsan]

28. The beard is a nice touch. Gives him a Howard Hughes vibe

Well, that an the 'prison pallor' complexion.

[EX500rider]

108. Yeah made me think of this:

Simpsons Mr Burns as Howard Hughes

[not fooled]

112. Or this

Ben Kingsley's character posing as the Mandarin, but actually a debauched fraud

[link:|]

[djacq]

29. Let Justice be done.

Extradite the MF!

[brooklynite]

31. I can recall when Assange was a folk hero in these parts...

...and the Obama Administration was part of a conspiracy with Sweden to trump up charges in order to arrest and extradite him.

[Denzil_DC]

33. I miss the cries of "OMG!" and feverish rewriting of reality. n/t

[joshcryer]

39. They ran to JPR.

And the site has been bearable since.

[ColesCountyDem]

52. I was regularly castigated at that time, for saying that Assange was no hero...N/T

[LanternWaste]

84. I can recall when OPs were met with relevant reponses rather than self-validation.

Different times, indeed.

[airmid]

32. I bet I know someone who gets up with a smile today....Have a wonderful day Hillary Clinton!

[sinkingfeeling]

34. Wonder if our current DOJ will go forward with charges.

[Denzil_DC]

37. US extradition warrant served:

Link to tweet

James Ball ✔
@jamesrbuk

That was fast. And potentially very serious and alarming.

Metropolitan Police ✔
@metpoliceuk

UPDATE: Julian Assange has been further arrested in relation to an extradition warrant on behalf of the United States authorities. He remains in custody at a central London police station. http://news.met.police.uk/news/update-arrest-of-julian-assange-365565 …

It's believed the warrant was issued on 2017 and refers to Assange's collaboration with Manning.

It's moving fast, but I expect lengthy court proceedings in the UK (e.g. Assange could opt for a jury trial for the breach of bail, and the extradition warrant will no doubt be fiercely contested) before any extradition takes place.

[BumRushDaShow]

41. WaPo breaking update on that

WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange was arrested on behalf of U.S. authorities, British police say, citing extradition warrant


April 11 at 7:52 AM

Breaking: Assange had been arrested earlier Thursday by British police after being evicted from Ecuador’s embassy in London. London Metropolitan Police issued a statement saying Assange had been “arrested on behalf of the United States authorities” and would “appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court as soon as possible.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/wikileakss-julian-assange-evicted-from-ecuador-embassy-in-london/2019/04/11/1bd87b58-8f5f-11e8-ae59-01880eac5f1d_story.html

[Denzil_DC]

47. Flashback for context:

[BumRushDaShow]

48. Could be

the only "reason" and focus at which point, he'll be disappeared.

[Denzil_DC]

51. The Guardian's Ewen MacAskill:

Link to tweet

Ewen MacAskill ✔
@ewenmacaskill

US grand jury behind Assange charges met in secret in 2010 after Guardian, Der Spiegel, NYT published cables. Why are they not being prosecuted? Only difference would be if Assange accused of encouraging Chelsea Manning to leak them?

[BumRushDaShow]

57. Thank you!

I do know it would be difficult if not impossible to charge the media for the Wikileaks publications here in the U.S... First Amendment and all...

I expect in this case however, it would be the technicality of Assange being an accessory to obtaining and revealing classified info.

[Denzil_DC]

61. It would set a very dangerous precedent on whistleblowing and media reporting,

but then Wikileaks under Assange has done whistleblowing as a worthy cause no favours anyway (I remember the early days of Wikileaks when it was low-key, well-intentioned and rather boring).

The Manning case is one I'd least like to see him tried on, but who knows what doors may now open?

[BumRushDaShow]

70. Well there are whistle-blowing laws

that have been in place and/or updated. I think what it may all boil down to is intent and getting a jury to decide whether it was done for actual "whistle-blowing" reasons vs whether it was done as espionage with an intent to sow discord/doubt in a government and/or some entity - either for personal reasons or for some "state-sponsored" effort. In either case, I still think the media would be in the clear because they were just the recipients, not the "thief".

[Denzil_DC]

72. I think there are grounds for arguing as you've done.

If I was Assange, I'd be more worried about being extradited because of what he knows about issues other than and later than Manning. To be blunt, there have been a few "suspicious" deaths ...

[BumRushDaShow]

76. The Washington Post just had an update about the unsealed indictment

I posted the blip here - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2301459

Assange accused of conspiring with Chelsea Manning in 2010 WikiLeaks release, say unsealed U.S. federal court documents

BREAKING: A U.S. federal court unsealed an indictment Thursday against Assange charging him with a single count of conspiracy to disclose classified information that could be used to injure the United States.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/wikileakss-julian-assange-evicted-from-ecuador-embassy-in-london/2019/04/11/1bd87b58-8f5f-11e8-ae59-01880eac5f1d_story.html

[Denzil_DC]

81. I don't know that much about US law.

In the UK, "conspiracy" to commit a crime can be treated more seriously that actually committing one.

If that's the only count (so far, anyway), it seems pretty broad. Does it refer to conspiracy with Manning, or with the media, or both?

[BumRushDaShow]

83. They could probably charge for conspiracy

but the question is, given what happened during the 2016 elections and the result, would they under this administration?

[Denzil_DC]

87. Yup. It'll be interesting seeing how this all pans out.

Given that background, I still think if I was Assange, I'd be very wary indeed while in US custody, assuming he ends up there.

[BumRushDaShow]

88. Personally

given all the Brexit drama that will need to be resolved, I don't think England wants him there anymore. They would probably be happy to be rid of him!

They may do some charge of skipping bail but other than that.... bye bye. Oh and Sweden already dropped the rape charge so they are done with him too. And I know the EU has a policy against extraditing to countries that have a death penalty for certain charges (which might be Assange's argument against this) but that probably would never see the light of day here for this case, which is probably why the agreeing to the extradition and why the charge here has been so narrow.

[Denzil_DC]

90. Policing the embassy has certainly cost a bundle.

It's a handy minor distraction for the government at the moment, and Assange makes a reasonable would-be Bond villain.

He'll definitely face court for skipping bail, and quite quickly. The penalties aren't that severe (probably 3-12 months), but the authorities can't have people flouting their bail conditions, especially so blatantly and for so long, without comeback.

The Swedes aren't necessarily done with him. They more suspended the case than dropped it since there was no prospect of getting Assange to co-operate with the next procedural stages while he was holed up. The case is still within the statute of limitations, and the charges can be rekindled and a European Arrest Warrant can be issued now that he's out of the embassy. One of his accusers is already calling for exactly that to happen.

[BumRushDaShow]

93. I remember when something not related but similar happened

with Manuel Noriega, where he initially served time here in the U.S. (reduced sentence to 17 years) and then when that was done, was extradited to France who kept him a year while resolving their case, finally agreeing to expedite him back to Panama, where he served time there for about 6 years before his death.

Will be interesting to see how the jockeying goes with this one.

[muriel_volestrangler]

95. European Arrest Warrant - would that have not worked if Brexit had happened on March 29th?

I remember people saying it could become non-usable in the UK, but I can't remember how that panned out. With Wikileaks' and Assange's involvement with Russian hacking and Cambridge Analytica, it's an interesting side-effect.

[Denzil_DC]

97. I'm not at all clear how it would have worked with the transition period.

There are no doubt other legal ways to achieve much the same thing whether in the EU or not, the EAW just streamlined the process.

[Ghost Dog]

104. According to the DOJ's press release the charge is conspiracy to commit computer intrusion

... The indictment alleges that in March 2010, Assange engaged in a conspiracy with Chelsea Manning, a former intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army, to assist Manning in cracking a password stored on U.S. Department of Defense computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet), a U.S. government network used for classified documents and communications. Manning, who had access to the computers in connection with her duties as an intelligence analyst, was using the computers to download classified records to transmit to WikiLeaks. Cracking the password would have allowed Manning to log on to the computers under a username that did not belong to her. Such a deceptive measure would have made it more difficult for investigators to determine the source of the illegal disclosures.

During the conspiracy, Manning and Assange engaged in real-time discussions regarding Manning’s transmission of classified records to Assange. The discussions also reflect Assange actively encouraging Manning to provide more information. During an exchange, Manning told Assange that “after this upload, that’s all I really have got left.” To which Assange replied, “curious eyes never run dry in my experience.”

Assange is charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors...

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/wikileaks-founder-charged-computer-hacking-conspiracy

But would I be right in guessing that, if once extradited on this charge, further charges could be "unsealed"?

[BumRushDaShow]

106. That might depend on whether this single charge

was all that the Grand Jury came up with and/or agreed to indict on. If they had other charges that have not been revealed, then those could potentially be brought up later.

Could also be that whatever else the Grand Jury had may not have provided as strong a case as this particular unsealed charge, so those were being kept under wraps for now.

[Ghost Dog]

109. Thanks. The whole concept of "secret charges" does sound somewhat,

um, dodgy, potentially unjust, somehow...

[BumRushDaShow]

111. The whole idea of a "Grand Jury" itself

is rather dodgy. You basically have LEO who are not a witness to a crime but who believe a crime or crimes was/were committed based on what evidence they have gathered about it. So they present what they have to a "jury", will include testimony in support of the evidence, and then will have that jury decide whether to actually bring a charge or charges (indictment(s) ) against someone for an alleged crime or crimes. The whole presentation is essentially one-sided (prosecution only).

[KPN]

96. Wouldn't be surprised. With this DOJ, who would be?

[Ghost Dog]

50. Regarding extradition, the legal question would be,

would Mr. Assange in the US be subjected to severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, intentionally inflicted for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, such pain or suffering being inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity?

(Ref: https://www.apt.ch/en/what-is-torture/ )

[Denzil_DC]

54. The practical question is

would Assange have been better submitting to US extradition under Obama (who gave clemency to Manning) or Trump?

As I said above, I expect it to be fiercely contested despite Assange saying earlier he'd submit to extradition. Extended solitary confinement might fall under the definition you've given, for instance (though I've no idea how well Assange would fare in general circulation).

So far, the assumption is that the warrant relates to the Manning case from 2010, but it may not be the only warrant and may not be all he faces now in custody (apart from the UK bail breach, of course; the Swedish authorities were apparently completely unaware today's arrest was happening). If the focus is just on Manning, that would leave Trump et al.'s shenanigans out of the loop, but Assange knows where a lot of bodies are buried (literally!).

[ehrnst]

40. Good. (nt)

[Honeycombe8]

42. Whoa. He looks bad. He looks like a crazy old geezer. With crumbs in his beard.

I don't understand why that embassy kept him so long. He paid them a wad of money? And what kind of life Assange could have being in a self-imposed prison for years. What a way to live a life. All he could have done with his smarts and money.

[BumRushDaShow]

49. It was probably due to the previous President's decision

and now the new one wants nothing more to do with it, at least that is what has been reported.

If you've ever seen any of his previous vanity "Big announcement coming!!!1!11" videos, you can see that this shtick gave him lots of international attention and that is what he seemed to crave more than anything else.

[greymattermom]

75. Here at DU

it'a probably not a good thing to make fun of elderly folks with intractable major depression. It's an illlness,and many of the treatments cause tremors. Folks with major depression don't groom themselves well. Just FYI.

[40RatRod]

43. Oh to see a picture like this of Trump being carried out of the White House

[Vinca]

45. Worst house guest ever.

[Renew Deal]

53. Looks like he went for the Bin Laden look

[get the red out]

55. Heard this

And was very pleased.

[nycbos]

56. Are the hard drives getting turned over.

[B Stieg]

60. EXTRADITE this creep.

Let's get to the bottom of Wikileaks and Putin's "Internet Research Agency"

[bullwinkle428]

62. OH MY GOD!!! THEY ARRESTED SANTA!!!

[47of74]

63. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[sfwriter]

65. What's the book in his hand?

I can’t make it out

[hlthe2b]

71. DIscussed upstream

[Marcuse]

67. Could a presidential pardon be forthcoming? "I love Wikileaks!"

[BumRushDaShow]

74. More from WaPo - Unsealed indictment

Assange accused of conspiring with Chelsea Manning in 2010 WikiLeaks release, say unsealed U.S. federal court documents

BREAKING: A U.S. federal court unsealed an indictment Thursday against Assange charging him with a single count of conspiracy to disclose classified information that could be used to injure the United States.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/wikileakss-julian-assange-evicted-from-ecuador-embassy-in-london/2019/04/11/1bd87b58-8f5f-11e8-ae59-01880eac5f1d_story.html

[Raven123]

77. Interesting timing

Too late for Mueller investigation but in time to prevent access and leaking of Mueller report. Now if I were a conspiracy theorist ....

[brooklynite]

79. UPDATE: UK pledges it won't send Assange to country with death penalty: Ecuador

Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has guaranteed to Ecuador that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not be extradited to a country that has the death penalty, Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno said on Thursday after Assange was arrested in London.

“In line with our strong commitment to human rights and international law, I requested Great Britain to guarantee that Mr Assange would not be extradited to a country where he could face torture or the death penalty,” Moreno said in a video posted on Twitter.

“The British government has confirmed it in writing, in accordance with its own rules.”

[brooklynite]

80. UPDATE: Statement by the President of Ecuador

Link to tweet

[47of74]

86. Much more eloquent and well spoken than our joke of a President

And reiterated rule number one of being a good guest - namely don't shit on your hosts' living room carpet.

[yaesu]

82. soon to be extradited to the US to face

an audience of tRump and GOPn congressmen where they will give him the Order of Lenin medal, thank him & take him to his new Texas estate bought & paid for by tRumpsters.

[brooklynite]

89. Going out in style...

Link to tweet

[brooklynite]

91. UPDATE: Assange found guilty of breaching bail; sentencing awaits

Link to tweet

Justice moves quickly in Britain...

[brooklynite]

92. Video of arrest

[brooklynite]

94. UPDATE: Extradition Hearing on May 2

Link to tweet

[Denzil_DC]

99. I wonder if he'll apply for bail? n/t

[Hekate]

100. First thing I heard when the clock radio woke us up: "Hot diggity, they got Assange!" sez I...

Good way to start the day.

[ffr]

101. I'm picturing Ivanka, the dumb-n-dummer sons, tRump and Pence in this type of scene soon.

Lock them up! TRAITORS!

[SunSeeker]

107. Good. nt

[defacto7]

110. They'll have to rebuild that whole wing of the embassy.

Pull up the floor, the tiles, the sheet rock, and purge it with clorox.

[C Moon]

113. NBC4 Los Angeles had an article on this. Near the end of the article, it said

Trump replied when asked about Assange: "It's not my thing. I know nothing about Wikileaks"
The article then added, "Despite praising the anti-secrecy organization dozens of times during his 2016 campaign."

I love when the media points out the freak's lies.

[cstanleytech]

114. Translation: Ecuador felt they had milked Assange for all they could and wanted him gone.