Tweet
Julian Assange - Flickr / Abode of Chaos
Regardless of your feelings about Julian Assange or Wikileaks, Ecuador has the sovereign right to grant political asylum to individuals who meet their requirements. Ecuador has decided that Julian Assange is justified in his request for asylum, and the UK, US, Sweden and other international players should respect that.
If you want to make your voice heard today, please consider contacting the UK Embassy and demanding they respect Ecuador’s sovereignty and allow Julian Assange safe passage out of the country:
- San Francisco: (415) 617 1300
- Los Angeles: (310) 481-0031
- Denver: (303) 592 5200
- Chicago: (312) 970 3800
- Houston: (713) 659 6270
- Atlanta: (404) 954-7700
- Miami: (305) 400-6400
- Washington DC: (202) 588 7800
- New York: (212) 745-0200
- Massachusetts: (617) 245 4500
You can also contact the US State Department at 202-647-4000
Finally, give the Ecuadorian embassy a call and show some solidarity (202) 465-8120
Speak out – even if you believe it’s futile. Exercise the right because you have the freedom to do so. Let us know if you hear anything interesting in the comments.
Be sure to follow Kevin Gosztola’s liveblog(s) at the Dissenter and follow him on twitter @kgosztola for updates throughout the day.
26 Comments
The British Embassy has communicated to the Ecuadoran government that they *hope* they’re not forced into withdrawing their embassy’s diplomatic status. (Jason Leopold hat tip).
Folks might mention that, too.
(Haven’t called, Brian; hope to soon.)
Very good point – +1. Thanks wendy
Britain’s threat to withdraw Ecuador’s diplomatic status is an admission by the powers that be that there is absolutely no honor among these people. Concomitant with that I imagine sanctuary within a house of worship is also dead.
This is how far civilized society has descended after thirty-plus years of right-wing Thatcher-Reagan policies.
No honor among thieves verified.
Demand?
As if they listen to us.
If they listened to us at all, ACA would have had a public option.
It can’t hurt to make a few calls. It *may* make you feel good, anyway.
Thanks. I’m willing to make some phone calls, even though it won’t make any difference. What the heck. If I don’t even bother to try, then…
This will piss you off:
FROM: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-assange-or-corzine
“The United States won’t prosecute Corzine for raiding segregated customer accounts, but will happily convene a Grand Jury in preparation for prosecuting Julian Assange for exposing the truth about war crimes…”
Obama – criminal, coward, bankster whore.
If England has a criminal problem with Julian or rather America England’s puppet master why are they not bringing up their evidence and charging Julian I am sure Ecuador would listen to any reasonable criminal complaint from England or America.
Oh wait they have nothing!
Steal billions you get set free expose American war crimes and you must be punished maybe Julian needs to hire a lobbyist and make some political campaign contributions.
Excellent point. They don’t have anything criminal enough to stand up to the court of public opinion. They just want to punish him to set an example for anyone else who might try to get in their way. It is kind of an equivalent of a drone attack.
The wars are over we lost even if we are still fighting them. Why risk the international system of diplomatic custom which was designed by the powerful countries to help the powerful countries on something as small as Julian?
I would expect such tactics from the Bush administration and the Neo Cons I did not expect this from Obama.
What is the big deal what is worth the risk? I hate speculating on why or how things will turn out if I have no idea what they want.
Yes even with Anti Terror laws and military kangaroo courts they don’t have enough evidence to bring up charges.
Thats how bad their case is but still they keep pushing this. Leaks to the press happen during wars. Warcrimes happen normally the WH just ignores everything so what is the big deal. Are they worried about big guys being implicated and/or do they need Julian as an excuse to crack down on the Net and civil liberties? I am open to other possibilities.
See also: http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2011/03/17/too-big-to-jail-americas-theft-inflection-point/
Reading about Rove’s involvement with the Swedish government and Sweden’s participation in torture, I have realized that Sweden is the black hole of Scandinavia. Now they want Assange for no other reason than to turn him over to the U.S. The charges against him are weak and the case has been so mismanaged by the police that it would result in a mistrial. But that’s irrelevant. They want their hands on him for extradition purposes only. Fie.
The embassy I called has no means to answer or speak to a person with every prompt option on their recording.
With noted legal and human rights advocates such as bmaz arrayed against him, I’m afraid it may be all over for Assange.
UK doesn’t have anything but their commitment to Sweden to extradite for questioning in a case which is based on allegations not any formal legal charge. The Brits had taken a hard line to appease the U.S. There’s no reason Swedish lawyers could not conduct an interview of Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy, just as they could have done elsewhere in London before Assange went there seeking asylum.
I really think UK is covering their ass with these threats, both to the Swedish and US govs. Eventually, they will probably say forget it — they tried but their hands are tied by international conventions. Then, maybe the Swedes will come to the embassy to do the interview. Everybody knows that’s the reasonable way to handle it, rather than using intimidation and violence.
If such an interview occurs and Assange is then charged with a crime, that is another matter that might cause a reversal by Ecuador. With keen international attention the Swedes don’t dare make charges without a strong case, and it looks like that’s lacking which is why they’re holding out for extradition.
I am beginning to think that underneath Obama’s cool exterior is a madman. His prosecution of whistleblowers is unprecedented, yet he and Holder have let the worst perps go unchallenged (plus, well rewarded). This is a player in a deadly conspiracy, and there is no room for disloyalty. Wow, I’m learning about dirty deeds I never thought possible since Nixon. Thanks to FDL and all you folks commenting for enlightening me!
E-mail contact for British Embassy Washington : feedback.consular.services@fco.gov.uk
My email:
Dear UK:
Thanks for the wonderful Olympics show! Now, please remain a member of the international community in good standing by honoring Ecuador’s grant of immunity to digital activist Julian Assange. The UN, the Geneva Accord, and diplomatic relations in general hold that “asylum at its heart is a humanitarian act of peace and can therefore be interpreted by no state as hostile.”
Please permit Ecuador safe passage from their London embassy of Julian Assange, to whom the country granted asylum after a long and considered process. Acting otherwise, especially as outlined in communications recently to Ecuador involving revocation of their embassy’s diplomatic status, would cause me to consider the United Kingdom a rogue state.
Thank you for considering my views.
Sincerely,
Here’s the e mail contact page for the Swedish Prime minister and other ministers, in case you want to ask them about a their refusal to interrogate Assange in London and their refusal to keep Assange safe from specious persecution based on a secret, sealed indictment from the USA.
http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/3469
ding ding ding ding…
the “cool” to which you refer, the smug aloofness, is the trademark of his psychosis…
that so many people adore him because of it is really kinda scary…
imho…
from The Confluence: “Ian Welsh reminds us that Pinochet had opponents raped by dogs and GB wouldn’t extradite him”
http://www.ianwelsh.net/pinochet-had-opponents-raped-by-dogs-and-britain-wouldnt-extradite-him/
To which I received this reply:
Thank you for your email.
The FCO does not deal with visas. If your query is about a British VISA, IMMIGRATION, or an APPEAL. Your email will not be forwarded and will be deleted.
· Please redirect your enquiry to the UK Border Agency:
· Email – UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
· Website – http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/.
If your query is about a British PASSPORT, please redirect your email to: feedback.passportservices@fco.gov.uk. Your email will not be forwarded and will be deleted.
If your query is about a consular service and needs a response, we aim to reply within 20 working days, but hope to get back to you sooner.
Kind regards,
Consular Feedback Team
This is an auto-reply
***********************************************************************************
Visit http://www.fco.gov.uk for British foreign policy news and travel advice and http://blogs.fco.gov.uk to read our blogs.
No charges have been filed against Assange in Sweden. He is only wanted for questioning, so we need to stop the meme that he has been charged with rape. The British reaction shows, without a doubt, that Assange is a target because of Wikileaks, and not because of any rape accusations, which, if you will research the history behind this, are very questionable, even in Sweden, where laws regarding rape are much more liberally applied.
Don’t forget how far the Brits have their heads up America’s arm pits. Seems Hillary had a lot to be embarrassed with the wiki stuff and still seems she is way ticked off with Assange. And Obama seems to give free reign to Hillary. (scary) She may be the one keeping Manning down, too. Imho–it all seems toooo passionate and full of scorn–kind of the way one might see Hillary going after her own personal enemies. Way too much scorn for sunshine on the truth. It is not like someone made up the cablegrams or emails. All the scorn has deflected the wrong that was done by people in leadership positions around the world. If all must come out in trials about Assange–it would seem all must come out about all the wiki stuff by every originator of all messages in order to have a fair trial. If people can’t be free to have fairness and balance in trials, why have the military and all money from taxes to protect citizens?