Julian Assange to sue Ecuador

Assange to Sue Ecuador Over Violating His Rights, 'Gagging' Him

The renowned whistleblower has been living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for years out of fear of being arrested by UK police and deported to the US. Ecuadorean authorities cut his communications with the outside world and began raising the topic of evicting Assange from the embassy in 2018.

Sputnik,

19 October, 2018

WikiLeaks' lawyer, Baltasar Garzon, will be filing a case against the Ecuadorean government for violating the "fundamental rights and freedoms" of WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange by cutting off his communications with the outside world, the organization wrote on Twitter. The hearing of the case is expected to take place next week. The lawyer also said during a press conference that there are currently no plans to take Assange to Russia.

WikiLeaks‏Verified account @wikileaks

WikiLeaks' lawyer Judge Baltasar Garzón arrives in Ecuador to file case today over @JulianAssange's isolation and gagging. Hearing next week. Background: https://justice4assange.com 

3:45 AM - 20 Oct 2018

 

READ MORE: Assange's Lawyer Plans to Take Legal Action Against Ecuador's Foreign Minister

WikiLeaks' statement said that the government had also rejected visits to Assange from Human Rights Watch General Counsel Dinah PoKempner, journalists and lawyers. The statement slammed the so-called "Special Protocol," reportedly developed by Ecuador, as an unlawful means to censor Assange's "freedom of opinion, speech and association" by imposing conditions for his continued stay in the embassy.

Ecuadorian Govt Partly Restores Assange's Communications - Reports

The co-founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has been living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 out of fear that he would be arrested by UK authorities for a violation of bail terms and deported to the US. The embassy cut Assange's internet access in 2018 following his comments on the Skripal poisoning case. The access was partially restored on October 14.

Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno has raised the issue of terminating Assange's asylum in the embassy during a visit to the UK in August 2018. He noted that Ecuador "will be happy" to let Assange go, but only after British authorities guarantee his safety.