Phony UK Guarantee for Assange
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
A virtual political prisoner inside Ecuador’s London embassy where he was granted asylum in August 2012, Assange faces arrest and extradition to America if leaves its confines.
He’ll risk Trump regime prosecution, conviction, and longterm imprisonment for the crime of truth-telling journalism the way it should be.
Leaving the embassy voluntarily or if forced out by the Ecuadorian Lenin Moreno regime will clearly jeopardize his freedom and other fundamental rights - why he remains inside the facility for his safety to be lost outside.
According to Moreno during a Thursday radio interview, Britain assured him that Assange won’t be extradited to a nation where capital punishment is enforced against targeted victims.
It’s virtually never warranted against anyone. In America and elsewhere, it’s often unjustly imposed on wrongfully accused individuals - for political or other reasons.
In 2012, the Obama regime disgracefully declared Assange an enemy of the state, forcing him to take refuge in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid unjust arrest, extradition to America, prosecution, and imprisonment to silence him.
At the same time, a secret grand jury reportedly convened. A sealed indictment followed, allegedly accusing Assange of spying under the long ago outdated 1917 Espionage Act, enacted shortly after America’s entry into WW I.
It prohibited anyone from interfering with US military operations, supporting the nation’s enemies, promoting insubordination in the ranks, or obstructing military recruitment.
It remains the law of the land, used to charge, prosecute, convict and imprison Chelsea Manning unjustly, along with other wrongful charges against her.
Assange faces the same fate if extradited to America. Anyone exposing US high crimes and/or other dirty secrets Washington wants suppressed is vulnerable.
A no longer secret US indictment awaits him on phony charges, likely similar to those against Manning - despite no evidence of wrongdoing.
Britain’s guarantee for Assange’s safety isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Allied with Washington’s imperial agenda, Theresa May is virtually certain to collude with the Trump regime against him.
He’ll be arrested if steps outside the Ecuadorian embassy, May going along with what Trump regime hardliners call a top priority, wanting him prosecuted and imprisoned, a warning to other investigative journalists and whistleblowers exposing US wrongdoing that the same fate awaits them.
May and Moreno are in lockstep with Washington’s geopolitical agenda. The Ecuadorian president lied, claiming “(t)here is a path for Mr. Assange to take the decision to exit into near freedom.”
Acknowledging he faces arrest in Britain for violating bail terms by seeking asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden on phony rape charges, he failed to explain it was a way for its authorities to hand him over to the US - what Britain will do directly or indirectly.
Nations allied with Washington’s geopolitical agenda can never be trusted. Moreno said he “do(es) like the presence of Mr. Assange in the Ecuadorean embassy.” Clearly he wants him out by one means or another.
According to WikiLeaks lawyer Barry Pollack, “(t)he suggestion that as long as the death penalty is off the table, Mr Assange need not fear persecution is obviously wrong,” adding:
“No one should have to face criminal charges for publishing truthful information. Since such charges appear to have been brought against Mr Assange in the United States, Ecuador should continue to provide him asylum” as long as his safety and fundamental rights are jeopardized outside of its confines.
Assange’s lawyer in Ecuador, Carlos Poveda, said his client is willing to surrender to UK authorities if credibly guaranteed that he won’t be extradited to America or any other country for any reasons.
Given the Trump regime’s rage to arrest, prosecute and imprison him longterm, he’s unsafe outside the Ecuadorian embassy’s confines - unless granted iron-clad safe passage to the country of his choice.
Perhaps Russia is the only one where he can be safe - if granted the same asylum status afforded Edward Snowden.
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