Ecuador Will Be Handing Assange Over To UK Authorities 'In Coming Weeks Or Days': RT (express.co.uk)

Ecuador is planning to hand over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to UK authorities in the "coming weeks or even days," RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan said, citing her own sources. Simonyan reported the news in a recent tweet, which was reposted by WikiLeaks. Slashdot reader Okian Warrior first shared the news. Daily Express reports: Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan is said to be involved in the diplomatic effort, which has come weeks ahead of a visit by new Ecuadorian president, Lenin Moreno, who called Mr Assange an "inherited problem." He also referred to the exiled WikiLeaks founder as a "stone in the shoe." Sources close to Assange claim he was not aware of the talks, but believe America is piling "significant pressure" on Ecuador to give him up, according to the Sunday Times. The sources claim that America has threatened to block a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if he is not removed from the embassy, based in Knightsbridge, west London. UPDATE 7/21/18: The Intercept also confirmed the news. Glen Greenwald, former reporter for The Guardian, writes: "A source close to the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry and the President's office, unauthorized to speak publicly, has confirmed to the Intercept that Moreno is close to finalizing, if he has not already finalized, an agreement to hand over Assange to the UK within the next several weeks. The withdrawal of asylum and physical ejection of Assange could come as early as this week."

Comments

Re:Terrible - Assange is great

[Entrope]

Does Sweden not toll the statute of limitations when the suspect is a fugitive from justice? This is the classic kind of case where someone (under US law, at least) loses the right to challenge a delay in being tried for an offense: the delay is due solely to their status as a fugitive.

Coincidence

[hcs_$reboot]

This happening a few days after Trump visit to the UK, while May needs to find new friends for the post-brexit.

Re:Terrible - Assange is great

[jwhyche]

Serious question here but is everyone a Russian puppet to you people? No doubt that is he is rapist and that is why Sweden wanted him. But a Russian agent to boot now?