Ecuador Accepts UK Guarantees, Assange Declines Offer to Leave Embassy

Britain promises not to extradite Assange to his execution

Jason Ditz 

Posted onDecember 6, 2018CategoriesNewsTagsEcuador, Trump, UK, Wikileaks

WikiLeaks figure Julian Assange has an offer to leave the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, after Ecuador says Britain offered them certain assurances they are comfortable with. This centers on a promise Britain won’t extradite Assange to be executed abroad.

Assange’s lawyer, however, has said that the deal is not acceptable, because they won’t accept any deal that would involve Assange being sent to the United States. His lawyer says “no one should have to face criminal charges for publishing truthful information,” and that means Assange still needs asylum so long as the US wants him.

Assange has been in the embassy since 2012, and US officials have recently affirmed that they have charges against Assange. Though it’s not clear what sort of charges these are, US officials have long talked up the idea of making an example of Assange for WikiLeaks’ publications.

Ecuadoran officials have been very keen to be rid of Assange after his long residence in the embassy, but hope for a real deal allowing him out of the embassy looks less and less likely, as the US is more public in its intentions to capture him.

https://news.antiwar.com/2018/12/06/ecuador-accepts-uk-guarantees-assange-declines-offer-to-leave-embassy/