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Ecuador Cutting Off WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange's Communications Outside London Embassy (suntimes.com)
The government of Ecuador said on Wednesday it has cut off internet access in its embassy in London to Julian Assange, the founder of the whistleblowing site WikiLeaks, saying that he was putting the country's international relations at risk. In a statement released on Wednesday, Ecuador said that the step had been taken because Assange had failed to abide by an agreement not to interfere in the South American country's relations with other states. From a report: As part of an agreement between Assange and the Ecuadorean government, he is not permitted to send any messages that could interfere with the South American nation's relations with other countries. Assange has been living in Ecuador's embassy for more than five years.
If he has no means to communicate with the outside world or to travel freely...that's the definition of incarceration. Finally.
The current Ecuadorian government inherited Assange, and it's no secret that they don't agree with his staying at the embassy. It's not the first time they have cut his access, and overall, making it undesirable for him to stay and get him to leave on his own there is likely the overall strategy, avoiding any backlash from actually tossing him out.
Yes, I'm sure there's a public wifi just in reach called "NotMI5Honest" that he could use.
Perhaps it's time for Ecuador to start charging him rent.
Please read my Canon EOS tech blog at http://www.everyothershot.com
For one thing, it's in weak countries' interest to have as much strife as much as possible between superpowers (US, Russia, China) as possible. If the big thugs are arguing amongst each other directly, they're less concerned about proxy wars and imperialism in places like Latin America. Keep 'em occupied and worried.
Plus, it feels good to punch up as the little guy.
Time for him to grow some balls and have his day in court. And im sure their are some Ecuadors who are in need of the funds their government is useing to keep him alive...
Jack of all trades,master of none
For one thing, it's in weak countries' interest to have as much strife as much as possible between superpowers (US, Russia, China) as possible. If the big thugs are arguing amongst each other directly, they're less concerned about proxy wars and imperialism in places like Latin America. Keep 'em occupied and worried.
I tend to disagree. Strife between major powers often results in proxy wars simply because teh big powers have too much to lose so they support other countries and let them fight it out. They like the idea of a little power poking the eye of their enemy, it's less risky then an all out confrontation.
Plus, it feels good to punch up as the little guy.
Until, of course, the big guy punches back.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
... he is not permitted to send any messages that could interfere with the South American nation's relations with other countries. ...
Frankly, if this is really what he agreed to upon entry... than it was a surprisingly ignorant stipulation. Anyone who even has a passing familiarity with his work (which could be established with a simple google search and two minutes of research) would readily comprehend that the only way that they could possibly have prevented him from interfering with their relations with other countries would have been to not let him in the front door in the first place. It's as though they had no understanding of what "harboring a fugitive" actually means; you take this action, and the government bodies who want his ass in jail will be upset with you. That's not exactly a hard leap to make.
There's a simple plan where Assange could easily move outside the embassy.
1) Create a fake Twitter account and post a really mean tweet followed by an announcement you'll be holding a parade just outside London - this will draw the entire London police force and most of the military to strike down the tweeter before he can tweet again, enabling Assange to walk out of the embassy unchallenged.
2) Embed himself in management for an under-age rape gang, as they are immune from policing in the UK and presumably he could make a good living there.
Of course, once free if I were him I'd stay away from park benches and BMW's given how much he has entered pretty much every government.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
He is a guest in someone else's place. He was told what the rules were for a guest and failed to abide. If you were a guest in my home and I said you couldn't use my wifi to download porn, am I curtailing your free speech? The difference is you can leave as you the local authorities are not waiting for you outside to arrest you.
The article is light on details on the specifics but he was warned previously not to do it and he apparently violated it.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
It is only "disturbingly easy" to cut off his internet because he is being a dick to his hosts.
Kind of like if you went to your friends house and started watching very loud porn on your laptop via his wifi in front of his kids and refusing to stop. If he can't or won't make you leave, he sure as hell can kick you off the wifi to stop you.,
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
It seems that the Assange topic brings out the really ugly in the Slashdot crowd: petty, bitter, cynical, superficial.
Folks, sometimes you're really disgusting.
That is what happens to people who jump bail.
The "concept" of bail does not exist in Europe.
It does exist in Britain, which is all that's relevant here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bail#History
http://www.geoffreylandis.com
That's a human rights violation IMO. You can't just deny someone porn and expect them to lead a healthy life.
Statute of limitations doesn't run out in Sweden until 2020. Assange steps out of embassy, the UK police would be happy to hand him over to Sweden, where he can be interrogated for weeks without a lawyer for Wikileaks activity,
He's not wanted in Sweden for Wikileaks activity, or anything to do with Wikileaks. It's doubtful that Sweden cares about Wikileaks one way or the other.
He's wanted to answer questions about a rape investigation. That investigation has been dropped, though, so he's not actually wanted in Sweden at all. (Although they could resume the investigation later, if they chose to, on one of the two rape charges (the other one is past the statute of limitations).)
because he hasn't been officially charged in the US (as Assange haters keep reminding everyone). Then deported to said US.
He can't be deported to the US, since he's not from there in the first place. I think you mean "extradited." But even there, there hasn't (so far) been any charges, much less an extradition request.
They've done it before: https://www.theguardian.com/co...
that's the exact opposite-- a person extradited to Sweden.
Q told us this last night.
"OFFLINE FOR A REASON"
Unlikely. I'm pretty sure that most embassies employ various methods to prevent unauthorized wifi signals from penetrating the embassy.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Someone get down there and leave a wifi hotspot. As much as Assange is a polarising figure I can't help but think the world is better with him. A little chaos keeps everyone honest. There is a reason authorities hate him so much, some down to him obviously, but really, I see it more of a silencing effort. More whistleblowing is good, Wikileaks does good. Look at facebook right now. The Facebook/Googles/Governments of the world need to be continually checked on what they are doing, else they will keep reaching deeper until stopped.
Sure. He can just contact any ISP he wants to have one installed what is considered sovereign territory of Ecuador. The country won't mind. Also all ISPs would love to get entangled in an international incident.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
I honest wonder if it wouldn't be better for him to just go serve his time and get it over with. At this point he's basically living in a prison anyways.
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
I've been talking to the Ecuadorian tech guys and they have just changed the wifi SSID to GoHomeNowJulian and the password is Solo ve a casa, podrías.
I don't think he's getting the hint.
Yes, being waterboarded at Gitmo and then executed for "treason" is how people embrace life. Bold words, AC.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
This is a common myth. An embassy is not treated in law as part of the sending state. Rather, the privileges enjoyed by an embassy and its personnel are only those provided by the receiving state's laws implementing the Vienna Convention; outside of the privileges that the Vienna Convention provides, the receiving state's laws still apply, and the land still remains part of the receiving state's territory.
"99 dead duelists of Dios on the wall. 99 dead duelists of Dios! Take one's ring, pass it around..."
He's had a private home inside Equador's government facility for years! The distinction you listed is without difference.
I think you are confusing that he's LIVED in a residence inside an Ecuadorian government facility with that he OWNS a private residence inside an Ecuadorian government. Living there means he's a guest. But let's go with your presumption:A citizen of another country can own property inside Ecuador's embassy. That sounds extremely silly to me.
If, as Progressive Humanity claims, Internet access is a human right, no one can be deprived of it without due process.
I forget, is Progressive Humanity in any way associated with the government of Ecuador? No. So your point then is?
So, why is Mr. Assange losing his — without the said Progressive Humanity protesting?..
No Mr. Assange is an asshole who couldn't abide with agreements he made. Remember he made a previous agreement with Ecuador concerning his usage of their Internet. He appears to violate the agreement.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
This is a common myth. An embassy is not treated in law as part of the sending state. Rather, the privileges enjoyed by an embassy and its personnel are only those provided by the receiving state's laws implementing the Vienna Convention; outside of the privileges that the Vienna Convention provides, the receiving state's laws still apply, and the land still remains part of the receiving state's territory.
Can Julian Assange install a new internet connection inside the embassy for his use? The answer is not without the permission of Ecuador who does not seem agreeable to it.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
I mean, seriously.
I am very small, utmostly microscopic.
Yes, being waterboarded at Gitmo and then executed for "treason" is how people embrace life. Bold words, AC.
This is the most retarded comment I've read today, and yet I just spent the last half hour on 4chan.
lucm, indeed.
His home country, Australia, has cowardly turned their back on him
No. He was told that this was a criminal matter in Sweden, and then the UK. That if, at some point in the future he is charged by the US, that he can apply for a prisoner transfer to Australia.
His narcissistic fantasies aside, he was wanted in relation to a criminal investigation, refused to return to Sweden, tried numerous avenues to avoid having to face the investigation and every court and legal opinion that he has asked to review the situation has responded in the same way.
People facing criminal investigations do not get to set the terms of the investigation in any country I know of. Maybe the charges were politically motivated, maybe not. We'll never know. He's run away, left supporters liable for hundreds of thousands of pounds of bail and taken advantage of the hospitality of the Ecuadorean embassy. He's claimed persecution and asked for political asylum, but there's absolutely no evidence of any persecution.
But the US wants Assange badly
So Assange claims, and certainly several US figures have spoken out against him, but there's no warrant and no attempt to extradite him. So far all I've seen is a lot of rhetoric from someone whose other behaviour makes me question how much is real and how much is fantasies of self-importance.