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Previous post: Assange's Asylum Letter to the President of Ecuador
Breaking news on the case
mainly from Ecuador and Sweden
Graphic art by Somerset Bean
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Friday 29 June
Stockholm: Truth starting to emerge in Sweden about who/why they would give guaranties of no extradition to the U.S. and whom they wouldn’t. As I informed in the update of 25th of June, according to DN Sweden will not give Julian Assange any guarantee that he is NOT going to be extradited to the U.S. - DN quoted then sources from Sweden's Foreign Office.
However, in today's hard-paper version of DN, the article "U.S. Military in Stockholm to get deserters home (to stand trial)" says explicitly that those that are NOT SWEDISH CITIZENS can theoretically be rendered ["lämnas ut"] to the U.S.. Note that the article does not formulate "could be rendered", but "can be render to" (to the best of my knowledge). 
Quito: The quotidian El Universo, reports that the citation given by Scotland Yard to Julian Assange for a meeting at the Police station (under the designed process of implementing the extradition to Sweden) was also sent to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The article says that the Embassy of Ecuador declined to comment.
El Universo reports also that a demonstration by "activists" was held Tuesday outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Quito.
Internet: The site Networkedblog.com transcribes an Open Letter signed by prominent Mexican intellectuals. I thank
--> @swedenvsassange for the source.
Here the transcribed text, English version:
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Since 19th June, Julian Assange, the founder and editor of WikiLeaks has sought refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in London and has requested asylum from the Ecuadorian government. As a consequence of the revelations divulged by WikiLeaks, influential politicians and media commentators in America have responded by calling for the assassination of Assange and his collaborators. With regard to soldier Bradley Manning, he is accused of providing WikiLeaks with documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is awaiting to appear before a court-martial that could condemn him to life imprisonment.
Because of pressures from Washington, the Swedish government subjected Assange to an investigation for alleged sexual assaults and requested the British government for his extradition with the purported intention of interrogating him. Authorities in Australia, his country of origin, have denied him consular protection and have even cancelled his passport. WikiLeaks has denounced that they are legal fabrications, their real purpose being to get Assange back to Swedish soil in order to hand him over to authorities in Washington. Once there, they could accuse him of terrorism, a crime that in the United States is punished by the death penalty.
Because of pressures from Washington, the Swedish government subjected Assange to an investigation for alleged sexual assaults and requested the British government for his extradition with the purported intention of interrogating him. Authorities in Australia, his country of origin, have denied him consular protection and have even cancelled his passport. WikiLeaks has denounced that they are legal fabrications, their real purpose being to get Assange back to Swedish soil in order to hand him over to authorities in Washington. Once there, they could accuse him of terrorism, a crime that in the United States is punished by the death penalty.
WikiLeaks and its founder have done an inestimable service to truth and transparency in the world. Because of this they have received numerous prizes and awards for their informative work and for shining light on human rights issues. The contribution of WikiLeaks and his founder to divulging the truth and to transparency has been decisive in today’s world and they have received international awards for their endeavours. We consider that Manning, Assange and WikiLeaks are being persecuted for making use of the freedom of speech and for contributing to the right of millions of people to have access to information.
Therefore, we respectfully request that the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, grant asylum to Assange.
Therefore, we respectfully request that the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, grant asylum to Assange.
We ask the Swedish legal authorities to refrain from persecuting the founder of WikiLeaks for violations that are falsehoods, whichever way you look at them. Moreover, we request that the government of the United Kingdom allow Assange safe passage to leave British territory.
Finally, we demand that the government of president Barack Obama withdraw the charges against Bradley Manning, that it stop portraying Julian Assange as a dangerous enemy and that it recognize that the freedom of information is fundamental to any democracy worthy of the name.
México, D.F., a 27 de junio de 2012
Thursday 28 June
Quito:
ElDiario.Ec quotes London sources on that the meeting asked by the police (at the Police Station) would be scheduled for tomorrow (Friday the 29th of June).
In Southern Sweden:
-->As contribution to the campaigns "HUMAN RIGHTS 4 ASSANGE", and "STAND 4 JA", Arte de Noli has designed this poster:
Quito: Ecuador Times, a publication in English from Ecuador, informed that "London Diplomatic Authorities sent through the Ambassador, Ana Alban, the reasons why they consider that Ecuador should not grant asylum to Assange."
Quito: President Correa's twitter on USAID helping oppositional forces disguised as NGO in Ecuador: "Imagine if we'd be financing NGOs in the U.S.A. to 'strength' democracy! Let's get rid of neo-colonialism!" [Reposted 25/6 update]
["Suecia lo acusa formalmente, podrá pedir su entrega normalmente, que se considerará según la ley ecuatoriana, y con una condición: que no lo rinda a ningún otro país, sino que lo deje salir para Ecuador, o al fin del proceso si sale inocente, o al fin de su pena si se condena./ Sinceramente en el espíritu de ayudar"]
Quito: Pressure increases for Ecuators should grant asylum to Assange
Guayaquil: El Telegrafo reports 28 June on yesterday's declarations of President Rafael Correa expressed in a press conference at Guayaquil: (Assange's) "petition for asylum is not that simple" said Correa referring to the reviewing of the matter the Ecuador's government executes.
Wednesday 27 June
Quito: Leaders representing the Human-Rights organization Permanent Assembly For Human Rights visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Quito to advocate the cause of asylum for Julian Assange.
Quito: President Rafael Correa affrims that the analysis of Assange's asylum case "is not a simple matter", reports eldiario.ec (image below)
Quito: Diario EL Comercio (image below) informs, quoting sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that embassies of Ecuador in the USA and UK have received over 10,000 emails in support of the asylum for the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The report also mention the letter by Moore, Wolf, et al, and that have been also signed by over 5,000 Americans.
Meanwhile the site Support Julian Assange / Our freedom depends on ithave reported on the same event and also a linking an informative source from Venezuela.
Ecuador:
--> Initiated in Ecuador the Internet campaign "Pide al gobierno de Ecuador que acepte el Asilo de Julian Assange". Over thousand Ecuadorians signed after the first day.
The camping (see campaign's logo here below) is conducted through the site oiga.me. Meanwhile newspapers in Quito and Guayaquil continue publicizing the letter sent by over four thousand prominent American asking to the government of Ecuador to grant Assange's petition for asylum.
Tuesday 26 June
[A full analysis based in the comment below, in "The Concern Troll", published 27 June]
Skåne, Sweden: Julian Assange and WikiLeaks popularity is on the rise again – judging from the media-debate and the social media developments in the social media. Even if to early to raise the victory flag to the top, articles from Sweden would indicate that situation stars to be viewed by Sweden with some anxiety, if not desperation. In an opinion-article “Sweden is owed justice and respect over the Assange affair” authored by Stockholm’s University Law Professor Marten Schultz in ABC’s “Religion&Ethics”, he gives the impassioned as well as equivocal notion that it would be instead Sweden which has been under unjustified attacks -- by Assange and supporters. Schultz acknowledges that the international position of Sweden is now deteriorated. Professors Blogg is at these moments preparing an article to be submitted to “Religion&Ethics” in replying Shultz’s drastic misunderstandings.
In other developments Christian Christensen, has now published in his blog "Nick Cohen, Assange and US Power", a piece disguied as "criticism" to Cohen's article in the Guardian ("Definition of Paranoia - Supporters of Julian Assange"), in which Guardian indulges - once more - in the anti-Assange preposteruos default-theme on alleged "paranoia". Christensen in his own article develops on hostile to U.S. positions towards Assange, implying that he also would "share" the notion of Assange's genuine risk of being indicted and imprisoned in the U.S. But Christensen had another position less than a week ago:
On the 20th of June, in yet one act the audiences had to stand on the alleged Assange's "paranoia" - in the line of Cohen's and other's in Guardian - Christensen made in an interview at BBC Radio program Why 60: Julian Assange. [See "In the background of this event", further below] what sounded a new mockery of Julian Assange’s “strong feelings of fearing", whith Christensen repeatedly putting in doubt as whether those "strong fears" felt by Assange" would be justified in reality.
The transcription excerpt:
So this is the way Trolls at the Fifth Column operates; they present themselves as supporters of WikiLeaks or Assange, only to get space in forums interested in the issues at stake around this highly media-publicized events, and ultimately discredit the WikiLeaks project, misrepresent the stances of his founder or WL supporters, or like in the actual case throwing suspicions on the real motivation for his political asylum, or if it is at all motivated. They use the drama of a brave man and his organization fighting desperate for physical survival and for the preservation of their historical project. They profit on the noble effort of many to make themselves a career through coordinate their attacks with the political and ideological enemies of WikiLeaks.
The transcription excerpt:
"When you look at Assange’s position to seek asylum in Ecuador, obviously he has strong ha ha [it sounds like a tiny giggle] feelings that this is a possibility, that he could be sent to the US and stand trial . . .If you just look back in history I don’t think it is beyond the [inaudible] possibilities for US to try to do something like this. Now, whether that is likely, whether is going to happen or not, it is completely a different question . . ."
"Whether Assange is justified in thinking he’s going to be sent to the US is one question, but obviously he feels that way” . And I think that, as I said, his decision to go to the embassy of Ecuador is indicative of a real fear on his part. (Considering situations with Manning, etc.) It is is understandable at least from Assange’s perspective to do what he has done. And I mean whether of not if he comes to Sweden something would actually happen is a completely different question."
Why would Christensen "change" his positions that drastically? Well, it is all explained in my rebuttal "The Concern Troll" - just written and published in Professors blogg."Whether Assange is justified in thinking he’s going to be sent to the US is one question, but obviously he feels that way” . And I think that, as I said, his decision to go to the embassy of Ecuador is indicative of a real fear on his part. (Considering situations with Manning, etc.) It is is understandable at least from Assange’s perspective to do what he has done. And I mean whether of not if he comes to Sweden something would actually happen is a completely different question."
In the background of the event described above: BBC contacted me early on Wednesday and invited me to participate in the programme, which I agreed and BBC thanked. Later in the afternoon they emailed that they will be calling me for the interview scheduled for early evening and needed therefore the exact phone number of my actual location, as I have several. But then I was away from home and computers.
At a point I received a message from BBC saying, “Unfortunately in the time that it took to hear back from you, we managed to find a guest in Sweden with a similar position on the story to yourself”. This with “a similar position on the story” it cannot mean other thing that Christian Christensen has again misrepresented himself as a supporter of Assange – which turn out being a new sad opportunity for his miserable attacks against the cause of justice for Julian Assange. Here below the other excerpt from Christensen's participation in the BBC program:
“When you look at it from the media perspective what’s interesting here in the discussion of the choice of Ecuador…just doing a little bid of research and looking some background there . . .Ecuador has not particularly good record when its comes to freedom of speech and journalism rights… So that Assange is looking at Ecuador as a possible location is interesting in the respect that . . .for (being) the founder of WikiLeaks . . . It is interesting that it is a country that is not exactly famous for its freedom of expression rights and press rights. So there is a sort of contradiction there, and that raise a number of questions about, you know, (Assange’s) motivations behind picking Ecuador.
Later in the program Christensen manifests "understanding" for Assange believes or "strong feelings of fear" in fearing actions from the U.S. or in complicity with Sweden, only to immediately after, and repeatedly, expressing blunt scepticism on whether those dangers are real or would ever materialize.
As with regard to “Ecuador has not particularly good record when its comes to freedom of speech and journalism rights” - in perfect line with what the pro U.S., anti-Assange press has been repeating now in synchrony - Troll Christensen was completely deceiving the BBC audience. The dispute between the Ecuadorian government, representing the people of Ecuador, and certain sectors of the media, is NOT an ideological dispute on freedom of expression. It is a classical class-confrontation among the corporate MSM world and their high capitalistic ownership concentration of the media, and the authentic interests of the Ecuadorian people to be informed beyond the monopole interests of the Ecuadorian oligarchy – or of their American mentors, such as this apprentice of Troll represents.
Quito: The Legal Adviser of the Ecuadorian Presidency. Mr Alexis Mera, declared that the decision on Julian Assange's asylum is not to be imminent [immediata] because we have to study Assange's juridical situation and thay might require some additional days". According to El Telégrafo [also source of picture below] the assessment refers to the legals aspects of the Swedish case against Assange. For its part, Foreign Minister Patiño Azocar communicates that Ambassador Albán "should return to London immediately".
Ambassador Ana Albán outside Presidential Palace in Quito
Quito: Letter by Swedish Author Oscar Schwartz in support of justice for Assange is published in Ecuador.
Monday 25 June
Quito: President Correa's twitter on USAID helping oppositional forces disguised as NGO in Ecuador: "Imagine if we'd be financing NGOs in the U.S.A. to 'strenght' democracy". Let's get rid of neo-colonialism"
Stockholm: Sweden will not give JulianAssange any guarantee that he is NOT going to be extradited to the U.S. affirms DN. Quoting sources from Sweden's Foreign Office; DN formulates "Assange cannot have guaranties" in that regard. The same is reported by The Local (Thxs @melbourneninj).
Stockholm: Sweden will not give JulianAssange any guarantee that he is NOT going to be extradited to the U.S. affirms DN. Quoting sources from Sweden's Foreign Office; DN formulates "Assange cannot have guaranties" in that regard. The same is reported by The Local (Thxs @melbourneninj).
Quito: News in Ecuador report that WikiLeaks had knowledge of the plans of oppositional forces to execute a coup against the President of Paraguay. Several Latin-American countries have condemned the Coup, which took place in these days. Ecuador has recalled their Ambassador in Asunción. Find underneath a facsimile with one Diplomatic Cable released by WikiLeaks and published today in EL Telégrafo -- this in regard the preparations to oust the government of President Fernando Lugo in Paraguay. Previously today WikiLeaks had published this in Twitter [here link to the actual cables published by WikiLeaks]:
Republished by El Telégrafo, Guayaquil, Ecuador:
From the publisher: Professors blogg initiated today a flash Twitter/Twibbon campaign, aimed to highlight human-rights aspects relevant to the asylum case.
For the defence of Julian Assange's civil rights
Stand up for Julian Assange's Human Rights; for his legal rights and integrity to be respected by Swedish politicians, government & media; for his civil rights to be defended by the government of Australia; for his rights to free expression in disclosing the human-rights abuses by those in power; for his political asylum which shall enable him to continue - in a land of peace and freedom - the noble struggle of his organization, WikiLeaks, for freedom of expression for all, and for Human Rights For All !
This Twibbon-campaign - meant as a flash activity related to the asylum case - aims to be a humble complement to the main campaign STAND FOR JA recently initiated on Twitter. While personally I warmly support that campaign, one main point this Human-Rights blog has maintained is to emphasize the great value for the democratization of Human-Rights represented by the work of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. Their publicist mission has contributed not only to the noble cause of Freedom of Expression for All, but also for the Right of information for All people in the world as fundamental human rights.
The second aspect which I wish to remark with this accompanying campaign is that the civil rights of Julian - in terms of a fair treatment regarding the legal issues and also about his integrity - have been infringed, and they are continuously being infringed, by numerous media and a variety of politicians or authorities around the world, particularly in Sweden. We need to draw attention to these facts, now. I believe clarity in these regards is vital for the analysis of Julian's asylum request.
Follow the Tibbon-campaign Human Rights 4 Assange here:
Quito: The Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño Aroca declared today in Quito that
"The petition for political asylum (Julian Assange's) is under analysis by our government considering all the implications it can convey - not as much because implications towards the National Government, but because those in regard to Mr Julián Assange himself"
"la solicitud de asilo político está siendo analizada por nuestro Gobierno por todas las implicaciones que puede tener, no tanto por las implicaciones hacia el Gobierno nacional, sino hacia él, el señor Julian Assange" [Quoted from, "Embajador Albán se reune con Presidente Correa" El Telégrafo, 25 July 2012].
-->"The petition for political asylum (Julian Assange's) is under analysis by our government considering all the implications it can convey - not as much because implications towards the National Government, but because those in regard to Mr Julián Assange himself"
"la solicitud de asilo político está siendo analizada por nuestro Gobierno por todas las implicaciones que puede tener, no tanto por las implicaciones hacia el Gobierno nacional, sino hacia él, el señor Julian Assange" [Quoted from, "Embajador Albán se reune con Presidente Correa" El Telégrafo, 25 July 2012].
Quito: Ecuador's Ambassador in London, Ana Albán, initiated today meetings in the Palacio de Carondelet with President Rafael Correa, Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño Azocar and Deputy Foreign Minister Marco Albuja -- according to Newspaper El Comercio. The quotidian also comments on the arrival of Ambassaor Albán but adding that no declarations were given by the Ambassador. El Telégrafo reports for its part that Ambassador Albán had first meetings in the morning with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño, and later in the day with President Correa.
Presidents Kirchener (Arg.) and Correa arriving at Palacio de Carondelet [older event]
Guayaquil: The quotidian El Telégrafo, which support the government of the progressive Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, reports that the government's decision on Julian Assange' asylum case will be given during this week.
Sunday 24 June
Quito: Ecuador Television anounced it shall broadcast this evening at 09.00 PM, local time, the interview with Presidente Rafael Correa made by journalist and WikiLeaks' publisher Julian Assange. The Programme was titled "Assange And Correa Without Secrets: The Special" -- See down below earlier post with information released by quotidian Opinion, that also reports that the interview with President Correa, made for the programme The World Tomorrow, marked the 500 days of Julian Assange's detention. -->
-->
Guayaquil: President Rafael Correa warned USA that Ecuador would expel U.S. Agency USAID from the country. Correa referred USAID as ”frequently associated with the CIA”, and activities "aimed to destabilize progressive governments in Latin America".
The Ecuadorian President mentioned that USAID have given 4,3 million dollars to organizations "disguised as NGO".
The El Telegrafo article quotes also a dispatch from Prensa Latina, in which Mark Feierstein - a top-ranking USAID official (“Administrador Adjunto” for Latin America and Caribe) - would have acknowledged that Washington has given priority for the providing of aid to oppositional forces that fight for the “human rights and democracy” in the target countries. These nations being the progressive countries participating in ALBA – The Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.
Imagen above from El Telegrafo
Quito: Newspaper El Comercio reports on a meeting Ecuadorian Ambassador to Sweden held by his initiative with officials at the Ministry of Justice. According to the report the officials informed about Sweden's judicial system. In Sweden , The Local reports that Anna Erhardt, spokeswoman for Justice Minister (the conservative right-wing politician Beatrice Ask) refused to comment further on the meeting. Neither are reported by El Comercio whether the following aspects - high relevant for the analysis of the asylum case - were discussed in the meeting about “how the Swedish system of justice functions”:
- In Sweden main part of judges taken part in the low courts (Tingsrätten), the type of court expected to treat the Assange case in case of trial, are politically appointed.
In Sweden, it is possible to convict a man for accusations of rape even if there is no evidence presented at court to back such accusations. The word of the woman-accuser has been held as sufficient for the conviction.
Details of the judicial praxis above in Shall Sweden's politically appointed Judges decide the political case against the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange? In the article is described yet another Bordström & Borgström “rape”-case (the law firm representing the Assange “accusers”) illustrating such a Court verdicts where it reads "According to this court, we found the plaintiff's story credible and that fully meets the requirements to form the basis for a conviction". See items below
-->
Some other important related observations about the Swedish legal system in the context of the "case Assange"
- Sweden has a judiciary system in which judges participating in the courts are appointed by the political parties (there is not Jury-system in Sweden, neither exists in Sweden the institution of bail).
- Sweden allows secret, "close-doors" trials. Particularly with regard to sexual-offences trials in which case secret trials is the most common form to be used in the Swedish system of justice.
- The number of appeals in Sweden has been notably reduced after a law of 2008 (the so called EMR reform) devised to curve down the number of cases resulting on appealing at higher courts.
- In the Swedish case against Assange the police investigators conducted interrogations without video-recording, sound-tape recording or other form of transcription. This is an aggravating anomaly and which infringed clear standard proceedings as instructed by the Police Authority with regard to cases involved suspicions of rape.
- A police officer friend of the other nominal accuser performed the interrogation of one of the nominal accusers.
- The interrogation of Julian Assange could have very well have conducted in Sweden but the prosecutor chosen to issue an Interpol warrant what it made possible the fabrication of an extradition case.
- The law-firm defending the accusers is co-owned by a politician member of the very same political group within the Swedish Social democratic party, Mr. Thomas Bodström (former Minister of Justice) and in which the accuser AA was at the time of the accusation the political secretary.
- The actual lawyer appointed by the firm (the other co-owner of the law firm) is Mr Claes Bogström, which, together with the prosecutor of the case Ms. Marianne Ny, and together with the former Minister of Justice and chairman of the Justice Committee of the Swedish Parliament Mr Thomas Bodström participated in the study of the new legislation which radicalized the proceedings and penalties for sexual-offences in Sweden.
- Mr Thomas Bodström was the main politician - apart of the former Prime Minister Göran Persson - signalled around the agreements with CIA on the rendition of political refugees in Sweden to be transported to torture elsewhere. For that he was called upon the Swedish Constitutional Committee. The Swedish political parties however, as well as the mainstream media, did never really condemn such behaviour.
Quito / Guayaquil: In the context of Ecuador's analysis of Julian Assange's petition for political asylum, Quito have called home Ambassador Ana Albán (picture below) for consultations. President Correa told reporters from a place in Southern Ecuador that UK had Wednesday delivered to Albán a communication on the matter. He added that it is only Ecuador that, sovereign, shall make a decision on whether granting Assange asylum in the country.
--> “We will take this case with totallyprudence, responsibility and seriousness, but without accepting pressures by absolutely nobody
-->", said President Correa.-->
President Correa continues:
"Assange says that his life is in danger because he could be extradited to the U.S., where there exist death penalty for political crimes – which do infringe the human rights and the principles of the Inter-American system. (Assange) says he is politically persecuted, that the accusations in Sweden are nonsense”
Twitter: Several twitters comment on UK, U.S. and Swedish recent MSM campaigns aimed to portray WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as "running away" or "hiding" at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Professors blogg:
Graphic art by Somerset Bean
When I first published that material here in this post, Christensen twittered directly to me and complained - in an inelegant fashion that neither I would call it professional - that he has been misrepresented, that he had retweeted Jemima's messages. At that point I had not been able to see all the Twitter sequences myself and had based my report on WikiLeaks supporters I trust. But for colleague courtesy, and because I do not wish to be unfair to anybody in this debate, I removed momentarily the text in question while I checked my sources in detail.
However, after a thorough check, my conclusion is that Christensen was indeed trying his Troll number against Jemima Khan, and even worse, this was done on the backdrop of salaciously smearing the motivations of Assange regarding his asylum request. (see below "Somewhere in Southern Sweden", here under the Friday 22 June Update).
--> However, after a thorough check, my conclusion is that Christensen was indeed trying his Troll number against Jemima Khan, and even worse, this was done on the backdrop of salaciously smearing the motivations of Assange regarding his asylum request. (see below "Somewhere in Southern Sweden", here under the Friday 22 June Update).
Christensen tried to manipulate me, and the Twittersphere, by presenting that I had not credited him with retweeting both of Jemima Khan’s twitters. IN FACT, the issue is that Christensen has omitted re-tweeting the subsequent twitters of Jemima Kahn. These twitters (3 in total that related directly to the earlier twitters by Jemima Khan) are vital for clarifying her position regarding her earlier, misinterpreted twitters, and express strong support for Julian Assange. Christensen added to the chaos and fed anti-Assange sentiment created by the earlier twitters by Jemima Khan but did nothing to help clarify her position and her support for Julian Assange. When it was pointed out to him that Jemima Khan had sent a series of twitters clarifying her position, he did not retweet them. Rather, he attacked those who pointed this information out to him.
Friday 22 June
-->
Stockholm: Leading paper Dagens Nyheter runs today an editorial on Assange tittled "Not A Hero Or Victim". Several MSM papers in Sweden, including State-owned media apparatus, have headed their editorials or articles, "Assange From Hero To Villain" ("Från hjälte till skurk").
In Ecuador, however, Hoy runs an article headed "Assange From Villain to Hero"
Rio de Janeiro: Full paragraph with President Rafael Correa's statements in Rio de Janeiro, referred to the asylum requested by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. President Correa explains, "What the analysis of the asylum application consists of:
-->
"Ecuador defends the right to life, one has to seeif there is danger of death. Ecuador supports the right to due process, must see if so has been the case. Ecuador rejectsthe persecution of a political natureattacking the political rights of individuals. Must see if there is any breach or violation in this regard. That is the analysis"
--> --> Quito: The former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador, Francisco Carrión (Alfredo Palacio's government), expressed in Quito his opinion that Ecuador should grant political asylum to Julian Assange and that the Ecuatorian government should request to UK a salvaconducto wich would permite Assange to leave Britain.
As long-time Diplomatic ("diplomático de carrera"), Carrión's experienced opinion is well received in diplomatic circles. Among his various posts, Francisco Carrión [photo above] he has been until some month the Ambassador of Ecuador upon UN and Head of the Diplomatic Mission in New York. He also has been Ecuador's Ambassador to Spain.
["Request" here translated from "solicitar" in Spanish = application, petition, request]
“Creo que el Ecuador debería conceder el asilo y además pedir al Gobierno de Reino Unido que emita el salvoconducto para que Assange llegue a Ecuad
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
“Creo que el Ecuador debería conceder el asilo y además pedir al Gobierno de Reino Unido que emita el salvoconducto para que Assange llegue a Ecuad
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
Francisco Carrión
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
Francisco Carrión
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/politica/garantiza-salvoconducto-Assange_0_722927911.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com
Guayaquil: An article in El Universo titled "Assange: No sé si mi petición de asilo aEcuador dará resultado" reports Julian Assange declaring,
"Nothing guarantees that the request for political asylum to Ecuador will succeed"
--> Rio de Janeiro: President Rafael Correa declared,
“Assange wants to goto Ecuador to continue fulfilling his mission for freedom of expression without limits, because our country is a peaceful territorycommitted to justice and truth”
Rio de Janeiro: Ecuador's President Rafael Correa [picture above] dismissed today that the Assange asylum-situation would cause tensions with the UK. He added:
"It is the last we would wish, but we are not going to ask permission to no country for us to take our sovereign decisions"
--> If any in Ecuador “would have done to anyone a hundredth part of what they have done to Assange we would be called despots and oppressors"
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Somewhere in Southern Sweden:
Thursday 21 June
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Rio de Janeiro: Youth representing movimientos sociales from over twenty countries delivered today in Rio de Janeiro a letter to President Correa asking the People of Ecuador to grant political asylum to Julian Assange. At the occasion, President Correa declared to the youth [the original in Spanish, published by Prensa Latina, below]:
“Ecuador is a territory of peace, justice, and truth – as described by Assange in his Asylum-petition letter”
“We are very seriously analysing the reasons presented by Assange in his asylum request; we do not permit that the life of any human being shall be en danger; we believe that the first right of the humans is the right to life.”
“We refute political persecutions regardless of the ideology a person holds”
“We refute political persecutions regardless of the ideology a person holds”
"Estamos analizando muy seriamente los causales que presenta Assange para su solicitud de asilo, no permitiremos que haya peligro para la vida de ningún ser humano, creemos que el principal derecho que tienen las personas es el derecho a la vida"]
Twitter: Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño Aroca
People representing civil society stand waiting outside President Correa's hotel for the purpose of asking him to grant asylum to Assange.
[Representantes de sociedad civil en Rio+20 esperan fuera del hotel a Presidente Correa para pedirle que conceda asilo a Julian Assange]
UK - Guardian: Today's Peter Galbraith article in Guardian Assange's asylum bid and Washington's WikiLeaks response: matching hysteria gives further fact-wrong or deceitful information. The author takes up four central issues among other a) Sweden’s “neutrality” , b) Sweden’s praxis on extradition cases to the U.S. (says is no danger for JA); c) Sweden’s treatment of refugees and deserters, and political asylum practices in Latin-America (Says wrongly Sweden. Professors blogg has written a fact-based rebuttal on each of those items [se text "Refuting new nonsense by the Guardian regarding Assange's asylum situation" down below in this series]
UK [13.11] NewHampshire.com calls Assange alleged "serial rapist"
Quito [06:18] Main on-line paper Hoyreports that in Sweden it has been waged a "strong defamation campaign" against Julian Assange through newspaper Expressen.
The article quotes journalist and publisher Julian Assange saying: "At the top of the news business there are many stabbings" [En la cúpula del negocio de la prensa hay muchas puñaladas]
Quito [06:18] Main on-line paper Hoyreports that in Sweden it has been waged a "strong defamation campaign" against Julian Assange through newspaper Expressen.
The article quotes journalist and publisher Julian Assange saying: "At the top of the news business there are many stabbings" [En la cúpula del negocio de la prensa hay muchas puñaladas]
Wednesday 20 June
Twitter [10:48 PM] Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño Aroca [picture above] published the following twitters (Spanish), in chronology-order:
- We thank the thousand of messages we received in occasion of the asylum petition made yesterday by Julian Assange to the Ecuadorian government.
- Assange's request requires in-depth analysis. Ecuador declares that will protect the human right to life and freedom of expression.
- We are now studying the risk declared by Assange on that he would be prosecuted for political motives and that he could be convicted to death penalty.
- The Ecuadorian Constitution respects the right to life, it does not recognize the death penalty and defends absolutely freedom of expression.
- Ecuadorian Government under the leadership of Rafael Correa has maintained a sovereign foreign policy, and based on principles, which will not change now.
Quito: Decision on Assange asylum within 24 hours, declared Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marco Albija. "The National government is considering its position and the President will give us his instructions tomorrow [Thursday, Rome time zone] says the article below:
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Quito: In another article - "Lawyer of the plaintiffs convinced that Assange will be extradited" - leading newspaper El Comercio reports that Claes Borgström, the women-accusers' lawyer (see above) "cannot imagine that Ecuador will give asylum to Assange" - "That would entail a critic to U.S. too" warned Borgström. Unbelievable but true; read all here [The full quote in Spanish, "Si Ecuador acordara el asilo al fundador de Wikileaks “este país irá contra el mandato de detención europeo y sería también una severa crítica para Estados Unidos”, advirtió el abogado de las suecas."]
Rio de Janeiro: Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, in brief declarations published in El Universo while in a UN Conference, said his country is "processing the application" (Assange's request for asylum, in Spanish, solicitud de asilo). And the President added: "We are a country of freedoms" [somos un pais de libertades]
Quito: Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patiño: "In Ecuador there is total freedom of expression - that is the reason why Julian Assange decided for asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy" (ANSA & El Comercio). Also, "No deadlines for the government decision on Assange's asylum" declared Patiño Aroca.
Stockholm:Claes Bogström (from the firm Bordström & Borgström behind the instigation for the reopening of the "case" - Thomas Bordström is the former Swedish Minister of Justice implicated in the rendition of asylum seekers to CIA) has been today filed upon the Swedish Bar Association's Discipline Committee for infringement of the Bar Association's ethic code. This is due his statements on Assange's asylum request to Ecuador. Borgström have insinuated that Assange is guilty of the crimes accused by the plaintiffs he represents. The report made by the human-rights organization Rättsäkerhetsorganizationen.
Ecuador shall most likely grant
political asylum to Julian Assange
by Marcello Ferrada de Noli
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"Either we shall be the tomb of the free, or the asylum against the oppression" [“O La tumba será de los libres, O el asilo contra la oppression”] Text in the National Anthem of a 1810-born Latin-American democracy, repeated in every main official ceremony since 1847 – author, the liberal humanist Eusebio Lillo, 1826-1919]
After analysis of statements and news from Ecuador, my conclusion is that the country shall most likely grant political asylum to Julian Assange. This in spite of Ecuador’s "excelentes relaciones" with the U.S. re-established after the diplomatic crisis between the two countries in April 2011 - and occasioned by the US Ambassador as exposed in the WikiLeaks Diplomatic Cables. Further, U.S. State Department spokesmam affirms now that the U.S will not interfere. Ecuadorian newspaper "EL Telegrafo", a supporter of the government, has been publishing WikiLeaks cables since several weeks.
Not only for being a Genève-Convention political refugee and having first-hand experience on the political mechanisms behind. I also derive support to my conclusion for being in the past at Ecuador's University and in contact with the political generation handling this political issue. Ecuador's independent stance towards the U.S. or superpowers alliances, the modern democratic style and progressive ideology leadership - and also their demonstrated integrity towards some corporative media - makes Ecuador an antipode of Sweden in these regards.
Not only for being a Genève-Convention political refugee and having first-hand experience on the political mechanisms behind. I also derive support to my conclusion for being in the past at Ecuador's University and in contact with the political generation handling this political issue. Ecuador's independent stance towards the U.S. or superpowers alliances, the modern democratic style and progressive ideology leadership - and also their demonstrated integrity towards some corporative media - makes Ecuador an antipode of Sweden in these regards.
Terra Noticias affirms in "Assange refugiado en la Embajada ecuatoriana entre amanezas de arresto" that the decision of Assange to seek political asylum in Ecuador "surprised many Assange supporters". I was then among the few who was'nt. As Professors blogg announced in Twitter the day previous to Assange's official asylum request - the juridical/judicial game had come to an end, and that now it has came the moment for a political break-through action,
In contrast to Sweden, which normally refuses asylum requests from qualified true political refugees (see below), democratic countries in Latin America have a rock-solid tradition in giving “Asilo Contra La Opresión”.
Let us remind that long before the happenings used as pretext for the "legal case" and the “reopening of the case” against Julian Assange, Sweden had denied him political asylum.
Various nations have extended invitation and/or shelter to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. In November 2010 Kintto Lukas - then Ecuador's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs - invited Assange to publish WikiLeaks exposures in Ecuador and promised to process a request for asylum ("permiso de residencia") if Assange would so petitioned.In the moments of this update, leading newspaper El Comercio, in commenting statements by the spokesman of the U.S. State Department William Ostick, on that the U.S. position is of no interference (it is a matter between Sweden, the UK, and Ecuador"), entitled their dispatch "EL asilo para Julian Assange es casi un hecho"
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño Aroca [photo above], fully aware of the international pressure his country will endure amid their deliberations on that decision, stated yesterday, after Assange’s request for political asylum:
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño Aroca [photo above], fully aware of the international pressure his country will endure amid their deliberations on that decision, stated yesterday, after Assange’s request for political asylum:
"Julian Assange is the founder (author) of WikiLeaks, an electronic media which have spread controversial information across the world”
And,“Freedom of expression is now taken to the highest level discussion. We are no afraid of being there, at the hottest spot of that discussion [“where the potatoes can burn you”]. And to face what is necessary"
[“La libertad de expresión ahora se pone en discusión en el más alto nivel. No tememos estar donde las papas queman. Y enfrentar lo necesario”] [“Julian Assange es el creador de Wikileaks, un medio de comunicación electrónico que ha difundido información controversial a nivel mundial”]
Further, the Director of the Master Program in International Relations Marco Romero, said now in Quito to AFP that he “estimates as probable that the asylum shall be granted”. "That would corresponds well [sería coherente]” with the background of the case" in regard to previous statements of 2010 made by high officials at the Ecuadorian government, said Professor Romero.
In the background of the new events - where Assange has in these moments been officially granted "protection" at the diplomatic territorial-immunity facilities of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London - there is also a diplomatic crisis erupted between the U.S. and Ecuador in 2011. At that occasion, revelations made by WikiLeaks resulted in the reciprocal removal of ambassadors between those two countries. Five month after the diplomatic situation was solved.
Also the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have released the following communique on the U.S. - Ecuador relations:
Meanwhile in London, and according to EFE, Scotland Yard has announced that Julian Assange could be detained for having infringed the restrictions of his house-arrest which included "curfew", and that he would be immediately arrested if leaving the Embassy site.
Here below the interview with Ecuador President Rafael Correa:
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Ecuador
ReplyDeleteStand firm for freedom - the world looks up to you and I applaud your integrity on this matter
The editor
newsmedianews.com