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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 12 april 2019

WikiLeaks' Assange hauled from embassy, faces US charge

LONDON (AP) — British po- extradition case.
lice on Thursday hauled a Assange's attorney, Jen-
bearded and shouting Ju- nifer Robinson, said he will
lian Assange from the Ec- fight any extradition to the
uadorian Embassy where U.S.
he was holed up for nearly "This sets a dangerous
seven years, and the U.S. precedent for all journalist
charged the WikiLeaks and media organizations
founder with conspiring in Europe and around the
with former Army intel- world," she said. "This prec-
ligence analyst Chelsea edent means that any jour-
Manning to get their hands nalist can be extradited for
on government secrets. prosecution in the United
Police arrested Assange af- States for having published
ter the South American na- truthful information about
tion revoked the political the United States."
asylum that had protected Asked at the White House
him in the embassy, and he about the arrest, Presi-
was brought before a British dent Donald Trump de-
court — the first step in an clared , "It's not my thing,"
extradition battle that he and "I know nothing about
has vowed to fight. WikiLeaks," despite praising
Ecuador's President Lenin the anti-secrecy organiza-
Moreno said he decided Julian Assange gestures as he arrives at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, after the WikiLe- tion dozens of times during
to evict the 47-year-old As- aks founder was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police and taken into custody Thursday his 2016 campaign.
sange from the embassy April 11, 2019. Assange has been under
after "repeated violations Associated Press U.S. Justice Department
to international conven- scrutiny for years for WikiLe-
tions and daily-life proto- fied military and diplomatic posing for pictures and beard and slicked-back aks' role in publishing gov-
cols," and he later lashed cables through WikiLeaks. reading statements. Even gray hair. ernment secrets. He was an
out at him during a speech Manning, who served his cat became famous. He later appeared in West- important figure in special
in Quito, calling the Austra- several years in prison for But his presence was an minster Magistrates' Court, counsel Robert Mueller's
lian native a "spoiled brat" leaking troves of classi- embarrassment to U.K. au- where District Judge Mi- Russia probe as investiga-
who treated his hosts with fied documents before her thorities, who for years kept chael Snow wasted no tors examined how WikiLe-
disrespect. sentence was commuted a police presence around time in finding him guilty aks obtained emails that
In Washington, the U.S. Jus- by then-President Barack the clock outside the em- of breaching his bail con- were stolen from Hillary
tice Department accused Obama, is again in custody bassy, costing taxpayers ditions, flatly rejecting his Clinton's presidential cam-
Assange of conspiring with in Alexandria, Virginia, for millions in police overtime. assertion that he had not paign and Democratic
Manning to break into refusing to testify before Such surveillance was re- had a fair hearing and a groups.
a classified government a grand jury investigating moved in 2015, but the reasonable excuse for not WikiLeaks quickly drew at-
computer at the Penta- WikiLeaks. Manning's legal embassy remained a focal appearing. tention to U.S. interest in
gon. The charge was an- team said the indictment point for his activities. "Mr. Assange's behavior Assange and said that Ec-
nounced after Assange against Assange showed Video posted online by is that of a narcissist who uador had illegally termi-
was taken into custody. prosecutors didn't need her Ruptly, a news service of cannot get beyond his nated Assange's political
Assange took refuge in the testimony and called for Russia Today, showed sev- own selfish interests," Snow asylum "in violation of inter-
embassy in 2012 after he her to be released, saying eral men in suits pulling a said. "He hasn't come close national law."
was released on bail in Brit- her continued detention handcuffed Assange out to establishing 'reasonable "Powerful actors, includ-
ain while facing extradition would be "purely punitive." of the embassy and load- excuse.'" ing CIA, are engaged in a
to Sweden on sexual assault Over the years, Assange ing him into a police van Assange waved to the sophisticated effort to de-
allegations that have since used Ecuador's embassy while uniformed British po- packed public gallery as humanise, de-legitimize
been dropped. He refused as a platform to keep his lice formed a passageway. he was taken to the cells. and imprison him," the
to leave the embassy, fear- name before the public, Assange, who shouted His next appearance was group said in a tweet over
ing arrest and extradition to frequently making appear- and gestured as he was set for May 2 via prison a photo of Assange's smil-
the U.S. for publishing classi- ances on its tiny balcony, removed, sported a full video-link in relation to the ing face.q