WHAT A CREEP!
After leaking secrets, dodging sex charges and costing UK £13m, Julian Assange marks end of rape probe . . . by giving world a human rights lecture
JULIAN Assange lectured Britain on human rights last night while showing no sign of leaving his embassy bolthole.
‘I do not forgive or forget,’ he said, blaming everyone but himself for his five years of self-imposed detention.
The 45-year-old WikiLeaks chief has been free to leave his Knightsbridge sanctuary at any time and yesterday sweden withdrew a warrant for his arrest on a rape allegation. elisabeth Fritz, who represents Assange’s accuser, said the woman was shocked by the decision and stood by her claims. ‘It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can disregard the judiciary and thus avoid trial,’ she added.
The £13million farce is set to carry on because the Us wants Assange for leaking secrets. In a display of astonishing arrogance,
Assange emerged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London yesterday, posing on its balcony for photographs with his fist raised in a victory salute.
The pale-looking Australian computer hacker gravely claimed to be the victim of a ‘terrible injustice’. He said the Swedish decision was a victory for human rights and attacked the British government for threatening to enforce the now withdrawn extradition request.
‘It does not erase seven years of detention without charge in prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight,’ he said. ‘Seven years without charge while my children grow up without me. That is something that I cannot forgive and something that I cannot forget.’
The day of drama began when Sweden’s top prosecutor said an investigation into allegations that Assange raped a woman during a visit in 2010 had been ‘discontinued’. Marianne Ny told a press conference that it was effectively a lost cause because there was no way of getting Assange to properly answer questions.
She said since there was no prospect of bringing Assange to Sweden it was ‘no longer proportionate’ to maintain a European arrest warrant.
The Metropolitan Police said it would still arrest Assange under a warrant issued for breaching bail when he fled to the embassy in 2012. He had spent two years in prison or under house arrest as he took his battle against extradition to the High Court.
A police spokesman said the Met was obliged to execute the warrant but
‘A drain on the British taxpayer’
pointed out that Assange was wanted for a ‘much less serious offence’.
‘The Metropolitan Police will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offence,’ added the spokesman.
Although the penalty for the bail offence might only be a fine or a day in the cells, the arrest would allow the US authorities to serve extradition papers.
This would prevent Assange being able to travel to Ecuador where he has been granted political asylum.
The Trump administration has taken a tough line on WikiLeaks, which some suspect of being in league with Russian hackers. CIA director Mike Pompeo says it is a ‘hostile intelligence service’. Attorney general Jeff Sessions said Assange’s arrest was one of his priorities.
Scotland Yard has already been lambasted for spending more than £12.5million on a security operation around the Ecuadorean embassy. This high-profile watch was abandoned in October 2015 in favour of more low profile and cheaper methods, believed to involve CCTV monitoring.
But the cost of the stand- off continues to rise because of the police operation and legal and diplomatic negotiations.
Moments after the Swedish decision, Assange tweeted a picture of himself smiling. It was immediately endorsed by actress Pamela Anderson, a close friend and frequent visitor.
More than 200 journalists, as well as a handful of supporters, gathered outside the embassy, which is close to Harrods. Dur- ing his seven-minute ‘sermon’, in which he was heckled by a drunk, Assange labelled himself the victim of ‘geopolitics between different countries’.
‘Today is an important victory, for me, and for the United Nations human rights system,’ he claimed.
Criticising the European arrest warrant system, he added: ‘The UK government changed the law to prevent further extradition without charge from the UK.
‘But it is still a problem for the rest of the European Union. I would like to thank the UN, particularly its human rights organisation. Today is an important victory and important vindication the road is far from over.
‘The war, the proper war is just commencing as the UK has said it will arrest me regardless.’
James Berry, a Tory parliamentary candidate, said the situation was ridiculous.
‘ It is unbelievable Julian Assange is still a drain on the British taxpayer,’ he added. ‘ Huge amounts of money have been spent and he still refuses to surrender to British law enforcement.
‘He is still wanted for breach of bail and he should do the decent thing and hand himself in and bring this whole thing to an end.’
Miss Fritz said: ‘ Proof of evidence in the case is available and that evidence should have been tried in court.’ Assange had initially faced four sex charges relating to two women.