Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Call to oppose extrad ition
Hackers promise retribution against those who approved Assange’s arrest
KEY figures in Britain’s opposition Labour Party said yesterday the government should oppose the extradition of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to the US on charges of conspiring to break into a Pentagon computer.
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said the US was trying to extradite Assange because he exposed “evidence of atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan”.
Diane Abbott, Labour’s spokeswoman for domestic affairs, said the government should block the extradition on human rights grounds.
She said the US case against Assange is about the “embarrassment of the things he’s revealed about the American military and security services”.
The politicisation of Assange’s case reflects the wide interest in the legal future of a man hailed by some as a heroic whistle-blower standing up to governments and condemned by others as a willing stooge who helped the Russians boost the campaign chances of US president Donald Trump, who had showered praise on WikiLeaks in 2016 and welcomed its release of Hilary Clinton’s campaign emails.
Assange faces what is likely to be a titanic struggle to fend off extradition to the US – and possibly a second extradition request from Sweden on rape allegations.
Police arrested the WikiLeaks founder on Thursday at the Ecuadorian embassy in London after Ecuador withdrew his asylum. He is in British custody awaiting sentencing for jumping bail in 2012.
Meanwhile, Assange’s mother has called on authorities to be gentle with her son, who’s jailed in London after his removal from the Ecuadorian Embassy.
Christine Assange’s yesterday said Assange had been deprived of fresh air, exercise and medical care.
Assange is an Australian native and the government said he would receive consular help due to its citizens after he was arrested on a US conspiracy charge.
But Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said the expected a battle over Assange’s possible extradition would not involve Australia.
On Thursday, hacktivist group Anonymous threatened to take revenge against “every single powerful person”, who gave their approval to the arrest of Assange if they fail to free the WikiLeaks founder.
“Every single powerful person who has signed off on this order should be shaking in their boots, because the force of the internet is about to be unleashed upon them.
“All the way from the CIA, the president of the US, and down to the arresting of officers that carried Assange out of the embassy, you have all exposed yourselves as enemies of the people and it is time for Anonymous to act accordingly,” the statement read.
Anonymous added that the arrest of Assange was “unprecedented attack on journalism”.
The US has until June 12 to provide UK authorities with all necessary documents for Assange’s extradition. |