Julian Assange to request political asylum in France
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Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, intends to ask France a political asylum, his attorney Juan Branco said in the France Info radio live.
"I think France should be conscientious about this issue and offer Assange political asylum," the la
Julian Assange to request political asylum in France
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, intends to ask France a political asylum, his attorney Juan Branco said in the France Info radio live.
"I think France should be conscientious about this issue and offer Assange political asylum," the lawyer said.
"He now wants to leave the Embassy of Ecuador in London and request France for an appropriate motion to offer him asylum in order to protect him from US prosecution," the lawyer stated.
According to Branco, his client has good reason to believe he will be extradited to the US the moment he leaves the embassy. "There were threats to hand Julian Assange a life sentence, even from Donald Trump himself a few weeks ago," the lawyer explained.
Earlier in 2015, Assange sent an open letter to then-president of France Francois Hollande asking for political asylum. Among other things, the WikiLeaks founder said that his further stay in the embassy, where he was confined since 2012, constituted a danger to his physical and moral health.
The Elysee Palace declined Assange’s request then. For now, the lawyer said, all that is left is the hope that the position of current French President Emmanuel Macron will turn out to be different.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has given a public statement after rape allegations made against him were dropped by Swedish prosecutors on Friday. Assange sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and has been living there since, fearing subsequent extradition to America.
“Today is an important victory for me, and for the UN human rights system. But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge – in prison, under house arrest, and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight," he told press outside the embassy.
“Seven years without charge, while my children grew up without me. That is not something that I can forgive, it is not something that I can forget.
“The inevitable inquiry into what has occurred in this moment of terrible injustice is something that I hope will be more than just about me, and this situation, because the reality is, detention and extradition without charge has become a feature of the EU.
“A feature which has been exploited, yes, in my case, for political reasons, but for other cases have subjected many people to terrible injustices.”
Assange says that while “today was an important victory, an important vindication,” the “war is far from over.”
He says that while the UK has said it will arrest him, and the US has said he and other WikiLeaks staff have no rights and that his arrest is a priority, “WikiLeaks will continue publication.”
Assange added that he is happy to engage with the US Justice Department.
“While US has made extremely threatening remarks, always happy to engage in dialogue over what has occurred.”
He added: “My staff, my legal staff, have contacted the UK authorities and we hope to engage in a dialogue about what is the best way forward.”
“To some extent the UK has been exploited by the process it entered into with the EU, where it agreed to extradite people without charge.
“That is to an extend a forced position the UK has been put into. And, the first part of that is over. The UK refuses to confirm or deny at this stage whether a US extradition warrant is in the UK territory.”
Assange thanked “Ecuador, its people and its asylum system. They have stood by my asylum in the face of intense pressure.”
Assange also addressed the release of Channing Manning.
“We have had an even more important victory this week [and] that is the release of Chelsea Manning after seven years in military prison.”
Read more:
NY Times
"He now wants to leave the Embassy of Ecuador in London and request France for an appropriate motion to offer him asylum in order to protect him from US prosecution," the lawyer stated.
According to Branco, his client has good reason to believe he will be extradited to the US the moment he leaves the embassy. "There were threats to hand Julian Assange a life sentence, even from Donald Trump himself a few weeks ago," the lawyer explained.
Earlier in 2015, Assange sent an open letter to then-president of France Francois Hollande asking for political asylum. Among other things, the WikiLeaks founder said that his further stay in the embassy, where he was confined since 2012, constituted a danger to his physical and moral health.
The Elysee Palace declined Assange’s request then. For now, the lawyer said, all that is left is the hope that the position of current French President Emmanuel Macron will turn out to be different.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has given a public statement after rape allegations made against him were dropped by Swedish prosecutors on Friday. Assange sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 and has been living there since, fearing subsequent extradition to America.
“Today is an important victory for me, and for the UN human rights system. But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge – in prison, under house arrest, and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight," he told press outside the embassy.
“Seven years without charge, while my children grew up without me. That is not something that I can forgive, it is not something that I can forget.
“The inevitable inquiry into what has occurred in this moment of terrible injustice is something that I hope will be more than just about me, and this situation, because the reality is, detention and extradition without charge has become a feature of the EU.
“A feature which has been exploited, yes, in my case, for political reasons, but for other cases have subjected many people to terrible injustices.”
Assange says that while “today was an important victory, an important vindication,” the “war is far from over.”
He says that while the UK has said it will arrest him, and the US has said he and other WikiLeaks staff have no rights and that his arrest is a priority, “WikiLeaks will continue publication.”
Assange added that he is happy to engage with the US Justice Department.
“While US has made extremely threatening remarks, always happy to engage in dialogue over what has occurred.”
He added: “My staff, my legal staff, have contacted the UK authorities and we hope to engage in a dialogue about what is the best way forward.”
“To some extent the UK has been exploited by the process it entered into with the EU, where it agreed to extradite people without charge.
“That is to an extend a forced position the UK has been put into. And, the first part of that is over. The UK refuses to confirm or deny at this stage whether a US extradition warrant is in the UK territory.”
Assange thanked “Ecuador, its people and its asylum system. They have stood by my asylum in the face of intense pressure.”
Assange also addressed the release of Channing Manning.
“We have had an even more important victory this week [and] that is the release of Chelsea Manning after seven years in military prison.”
Read more:
NY Times
