You Saw This Coming of the Day: Julian Assange Will Run for Office as a Member of Wikileaks Party
Wikileaks’ larger-than-life founder Julian Assange has officially filed paperwork to run for a seat in the Australian Senate and may actually have a chance at winning. Assange will be running as a member of the country’s new Wikileaks Party while living at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been hiding for several months to avoid extradition to Sweden. So how’s Assange running for an office from overseas? The Age explains:
“Australian citizens living overseas can enrol to vote as an overseas elector, and consequently run as a Senate candidate if they left Australia within the past three years and intend to return within six years of their date of departure.”
We’re curious how election to the Australian Senate would impact Assange’s current status, holed up as he is in London’s Ecuadorian embassy at present. Would being a Senator from a foreign country somehow grant him enough legal protection to leave the embassy for Australia, without being halted by British authorities, or extradited to Sweden as he fears? We’re continuing to keep an eye on this.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange and Daniel Bruhl as Daniel Domscheit-Berg in a still from the upcoming Julian Assange biopic “The Fifth Estate”.
I’m sure the Wikileaks Twitter account is currently raging about how Benedict Cumberbatch looks nothing like Assange.
It must have come as a surprise to the Egyptian teenagers who washed American teargas out of their eyes (during the Arab Spring) to hear that the U.S. supported change in the Middle East. It’s time for President Obama to keep his word … and for the U.S. to cease its persecution of WikiLeaks.Julian Assange • In a video feed, aired at the United Nations on Wednesday, mocking Obama’s UN speech, which encouraged free speech in the Middle East. His point? Wikileaks certainly didn’t get a free-speech pass from the U.S. government; in fact, he says Obama has “done more to criminalize free speech than any other U.S. president.” Ouch.
I think the situation will be solved through diplomacy … The Swedish government could drop the case. I think this is the most likely scenario. Maybe after a thorough investigation of what happened they could drop the case.Wikileaks founder Julian Assange • Speaking about his situation in the Ecuadorian embassy, where he’s been granted asylum but effectively can’t leave. He thinks that it’ll eventually work itself out, but he’ll probably be stuck in the embassy for as long as six months to a year.
I don’t want to judge allegations that have not been proven and would not, in any case, be considered a felony in Latin American, too. It has never been the intention of the Ecuadorean government for Julian Assange not to respond to those allegations.Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa • Agreeing with many critics of Ecuador, following the country’s decision to grant political asylum to Julian Assange, that the Wikileaks founder should face the allegations of rape which have been leveled against him. While Correa agrees that Assange should not flee from authorities, he also restated his belief that Ecuador’s diplomatic sovereignty should continue to be respected the United Kingdom and other countries. Some inside of Ecuador have accused Correa of grandstanding, by offering asylum to a known whistleblower in an effort to deflect criticism he faces for closing several radio and television networks across Ecuador, ahead of presidential elections this fall. source (via • follow)
It might be really sordid and bad sexual etiquette, but whatever else it is, it is not rape or you bankrupt the term rape of all meaning.George Galloway, Respect Member of Parliament for Bradford West • During a video blog expressing his support for Julian Assange following widespread anger over the Wikileaks founder’s decision to seek political asylum in Ecuador. Galloway’s comments have been widely condemned by fellow British politicians, including Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament Jo Swinson, who told reporters that she couldn’t believe an MP would “be so grossly irresponsible as to suggest that sex without consent is anything other than rape.” source (via • follow)
I ask President Obama to do the right thing. The United States must renounce its witch hunt against Wikileaks. The United States must dissolve its FBI investigation. The United States must vow that it will not seek to prosecute our staff or our supporters.Wikileaks founder Julian Assange • Speaking from a written statement in his first public appearance since entering the Ecuadorian embassy in London two months ago. Assange feels that his extradition to Sweden on sex crimes allegations is a preface to send him to the United States — an allegation Swedish officials deny. Ecuador recently granted Assange asylum, but it’s unlikely he will be able to leave the United Kingdom without facing arrest.
The problem is that they aren’t going to give safe passage. Julian Assange could stay indefinitely in our embassy.Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa • Revealing that Julian Assange better get comfortable at his new home, the Ecuadorian embassy in London — because he’ll most likely be staying there for the time being. Correa granted Assange asylum earlier this week, but the UK government won’t let him leave the country — and in fact has made claims that they can simply remove Assange from the embassy, despite the fact that the embassy is technically on Ecuadorian land.
Excerpt from a documentary on the film “Collateral Murder,” aired by the television station Al Jazeera English in 2010.
Assange later told Frontline and CBS News after Pfc. Brad Manning was arrested that Wikileaks would have no way of identifying its source:
“Our technology means we don’t know who is submitting us materials,” Assange told Katie Couric in a segment aired by CBS News on December 18, 2010. “But the name Bradley Manning was first heard by us when we read an article about his arrest in Wired magazine.”
Assange also told the Frontline Club: “We don’t keep records of who our sources are, because it’s very difficult with modern communication spying to keep anything secret over the long term, extremely difficult when dealing with organizations that do not follow the rule of law like the NSA — so instead, our sort of modus operandi is when we receive material is to never know who it’s come from precisely.” - http://goo.gl/jvmsD
Seems like today’s a good day to resurface this.
Wikileaks chief Julian Assange was granted political asylum by Ecuador on Thursday, setting up a standoff with the British government, which has vowed to block his exit from the country.
The announcement was made by the Ecuadorian foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño. He said that Ecuador was granting Assange political asylum because it believed he was being persecuted for his actions as the head of Wikileaks.
“The Ecuador government, loyal to its tradition to protect those who seek refuge with us at our diplomatic missions, has decided to grant diplomatic asylum to Mr. Assange,” he said. Applause greeted his announcement.
Assange remains holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he fled to avoid extradition charges to Sweden. He is wanted there to face allegations of rape, but has said he fears that he will be swiftly transferred to the United States, where he could be prosecuted for leaking classified material through Wikileaks.
The British government told Ecuador that its orders to extradite Assange would override any asylum order, and that it could still move to arrest Assange.
Or to put it another way, a long-lingering story just hit a major plot point.
The reporter...
I can’t add much to what’s already been (and will be) ...
One of the perks of being an early employee...
Over the last 90 days, the Digg...
#FMMDI (at 30 Rockefeller Plaza)
Thanks. I guess my thoughts are as follows:
1. I think...
You should be aware that there is a legal basis in the U.K. — the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act — which would allow us to take action to arrest Mr. Assange in the current premises of the embassy. We very much hope not to get this point, but if you cannot resolve the issue of Mr. Assange’s presence on your premises, this route is open to us.The British Foreign Office • Noting that they have the legal right to storm the Ecuadorian embassy to arrest Wikileaks leader Julian Assange, but they don’t want it to reach that level. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa will announce his decision to offer asylum to Assange soon.
Outside Assange: This looks to be a live feed from outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, in which Julian Assange is currently holed up. Police have been coming in and out of the building in which the embassy is located, and a van described as having diplomatic plates just pulled away from the scene. This appears to be a legitimate live stream, courtesy of an friendly-sounding citizen journalist named alburyj, who counts himself a fan of Assange. source
If the measure announced in the British official communication is enacted, it will be interpreted by Ecuador as an unacceptable, unfriendly and hostile act and as an attempt against our sovereignty. It would force us to respond. We are not a British colony.Ricardo Patino, Foreign Minister of Ecuador • In a televised statement, confirming reports that UK officials have threatened to storm the Ecuadorian embassy in London to arrest Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. A UK Foreign Office spokesman did not confirm or deny the allegations, instead choosing to reiterate the UK’s legal obligation to extradite Mr. Assange. “Throughout this process we have drawn the Ecuadorians’ attention to relevant provisions of our law… [including] the legal status of diplomatic premises in the UK,” said the spokesman, adding, “We are still committed to reaching a mutually acceptable solution.” source (via • follow)
New developments have emerged regarding the possiblity of Julian Assange receiving asylum from Ecuador. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available. source
Update: ABC Australia has issued a statement to clarify their initial report, regarding Julian Assange’s asylum, to say that Ecuador wants to extend the offer but can’t because Assange can’t be guaranteed safe passage.
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