Assange says will leave Ecuador embassy in London 'soon'

[panopticon]

Julian Assange's press conference from the Ecuadorian embassy:
http://www.livestream.com/cancilleriaecua/video?clipId=pla_9b995237-4705-4f75-bd23-fbdeb09c8b94

-- Pan

###

Assange says will leave Ecuador embassy in London 'soon' (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/assange-says-leave-ecuador-embassy-london-soon-080646682.html)
18th August 2014

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday he would "soon" leave Ecuador's embassy in London, where he has sought asylum for over two years.

He told a press conference he "will be leaving the embassy soon" but not for reasons "reported by the Murdoch press", without elaborating further.

British media reported at the weekend, quoting a WikiLeaks source, that he was suffering from the potentially life-threatening heart condition arrhythmia and had a chronic lung complaint as well as dangerously high blood pressure.

Assange was accompanied at the press conference by Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino.

He did not mention a plan for Assange to leave the embassy but called for the governments involved in his case to take action.

"The situation must come to an end -- two years is simply too long," he said.
"We continue to offer him our protection? we continue to be ready to talk with the British government and the Swedish government to find a solution to this serious breach of Julian Assange's human rights."

Source (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/assange-says-leave-ecuador-embassy-london-soon-080646682.html)

[Cidersomerset]

g2M5FXzORho


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Wikileaks' Julian Assange hopes to leave Ecuadorean
embassy 'soon'1 hour ago

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has said he hopes to
leave the Ecuadorean embassy "soon".

He did not clarify when he would depart but said it was
"probably not" for the reasons reported by the UK press.
Stories had suggested he was suffering ill-health.

Mr Assange has sought refuge in in the embassy for the
past two years to avoid extradition to Sweden on charges
of sexual assault, which he denies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28833671

[giovonni]

from what i heard through the grapevine ... he is having some health related issues ...

possibly lung and heart problems ?

[Cidersomerset]

from what i heard through the grapevine ... he is having some health related issues ...

possibly lung and heart problems ?

He has definitely got a gravely smokers voice.....

Though he did say it was not for what we expect,
and his health issues has been speculated on for
a while ??

------------------------------------------------------

Longer article on the BBC webpage....


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18 August 2014 Last updated at 13:42

Julian Assange speaks of 'leaving' Ecuador embassyJump media playerMedia
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Julian Assange says he plans to leave the Ecuadorean Embassy "soon" but
did not give more details


Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has suggested he will be leaving London's
Ecuadorean embassy "soon".

He said he understood from Wikileaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson he would
be "leaving the embassy" after two years' refuge but gave no more details.

Mr Assange is wanted for questioning over alleged sex assaults in Sweden and
faces arrest if he leaves the embassy.

Mr Hrafnsson later said the plan "as always" was for Mr Assange to depart when
the UK "calls off the siege".

"The world is not coming to an end," Mr Hrafnsson told reporters inside the embassy.

"The plan, as always, is to leave as soon as the UK government decides to honour
its obligations in relation to international agreements."

Mr Assange, 43, faces questioning by prosecutors in Stockholm over claims made
by two women in 2010. He denies the allegations and sought refuge in the
Ecuadorean embassy in June 2012 shortly after the UK's Supreme Court dismissed
his efforts to block his extradition.

Since then police have maintained a round-the-clock presence outside the building,
in London's Knightsbridge.

Diplomatic solution

Clive Coleman, the BBC's legal correspondent, said that nothing had changed since
2012 and Mr Assange would be arrested and extradited if he left the embassy.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77006000/jpg/_77006292_023545341-1.jpg

Julian Assange and Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino Mr Assange was speaking
inside the Ecuadorean embassy, where he has been living for the last two years
Speaking at the news conference, Mr Assange said: "I understand that Kristinn
Hrafnsson has said that he can confirm I am leaving the embassy soon".

But he added it was not because he needed medical treatment, as had been
reported in some of the UK press.

line
The BBC's Vanessa Buschschluter at the Ecuadorean embassy

This was certainly a news conference of mixed messages. Expectations of a
news-making announcement were high as a group of a dozen journalists filed
into the Ecuadorean embassy.

They were further fuelled by the fact that we were asked to hand over our mobile
phones before entering the embassy, something which had not been the case
during a similar news conference held in June to mark the two-year anniversary
since Julian Assange first sought refuge.

Mr Assange used this occasion to dispel "misinformation" and to make the point
that he has never been charged with any offence either here or in Sweden.

But challenged by journalists to confirm or deny rumours he would leave the embassy
soon, he gave a cryptic answer, quoting Wikileaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson.

Asked by journalists to clarify his answer, he just said: "I think I've said enough".

Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino on the other hand seemed to suggest
Mr Assange would be in the embassy for a long time. He asked how long the Swedish
judiciary could allow this situation to continue: "Five more years? Ten more years?"
and lamented that there had been "no movement" since Mr Assange entered the
embassy in June 2012.

line
Clarifying Mr Assange's comments, Mr Hrafnsson said: "The plan is for him to leave
as soon as the UK government decides to honour its obligations in relation to
international agreements and calls off the siege outside - it's as simple as that."

A UK Foreign Office spokesman called on the Ecuadorean government to help
"bring this difficult and costly situation to an end".

"We remain as committed as ever to reaching a diplomatic solution to this situation.

"We are clear that our laws must be followed and Mr Assange should be extradited
to Sweden," the spokesman added.

'Bound to fail'

Mr Assange says he fears he could eventually be handed over to the US because
Wikileaks published classified US military documents on the Afghan and Iraq wars.

He was granted asylum by Ecuador in August 2012 and the country's foreign
minister Ricardo Patino said he would continue to be offered "protection".

Sitting next to Mr Patino at a news conference, Mr Assange said his health had
suffered during his time inside the embassy.

Reports in UK newspapers at the weekend said Mr Assange had developed a
heart defect and a chronic lung condition during his confinement.

The Australian said the reasons for him leaving were not those
"reported by the Murdoch press" - but did not elaborate further.


http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77006000/jpg/_77006287_023179661-1.jpg

Supporters of Julian Assange Supporters demonstrated last month after
a Swedish court upheld an arrest warrant against the Wikileaks founder
Correspondent Clive Coleman added that if Mr Assange needs medical
treatment he could be arrested and then taken to hospital under guard.

He said that any argument that Mr Assange could not be extradited
because of his health was "almost certainly bound to fail".

"It is almost inconceivable that an extradition would be halted on health
grounds if that extradition is to a country that is part of the European
Arrest Warrant scheme.

"All of those countries have good hospitals and health care facilities. The health
issue doesn't open upon up a new round of domestic legal challenges," he said.

'Better climate'

Speaking at the news conference, Mr Patino said the Ecuador government
would attempt to meet UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to discuss the case.

He said changes to the UK's extradition laws had created a better climate for
reaching a deal over Mr Assange.

"It is time to free Julian Assange. It is time for his human rights to be finally
respected," Mr Patino added.

The Swedish warrant for Mr Assange's arrest was first issued at the end of
2010. Last month, a Stockholm court ruled it should stay in place.

It comes as the Metropolitan Police has estimated the total cost of policing
the embassy since June 2012 has been £6.4m - including £1.1m of police overtime.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28834849

[aheb]

How can they justify such expenditure when people are using food banks?

[giovonni]

for every man ...


When You're a Free Man :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP7-u4XjVvA

[korgh]

Poor man!
They smashed him just using lies, life-threatening and nobody can resist under this kind of pressure. It's like living in a hell confined by 2 years! It is just another kind of torture conceived by the PTB. The result? resignation, arrhythmia and a chronic lung complaint as well a dangerously high blood pressure and probably another soul ripped by CABAL's will. shame.