UN faces derision as Assange claims ‘sweet victory’
PM rejects ‘ridiculous’ decision that WikiLeaks founder is being detained in embassy
THE United Nations was ridiculed yesterday after its experts ruled that Julian Assange was “detained” in the Ecuadorean embassy and suggested Britain should pay compensation to the WikiLeaks founder.
The findings were described as “ridiculous” by David Cameron as it emerged the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was deeply divided over its conclusions.
One member of the panel refused to support the final report, saying Mr Assange was a fugitive who had “fled bail” over a rape allegation in Sweden and was using political asylum in the embassy in London to “evade arrest”.
The ruling, partially leaked on Thursday, said Mr Assange had been subjected to “deprivation” and a breach of human rights.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “It’s ridiculous. There’s a European Arrest Warrant out for him. He has never been arbitrarily detained in this country.
“It’s entirely his choice to remain in the Ecuadorean embassy and he is avoiding lawful arrest by choosing to remain there.”
Echoing Mr Cameron’s comments, Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, said: “I reject the decision of this working group. Julian Assange is a fugitive from justice. He is hiding from justice in the Ecuadorean embassy.
“He can come out any time he chooses. But he will have to face justice in Sweden if he chooses to do so. This is frankly a ridiculous finding by the working group and we reject it.”
Dominic Raab, the human rights minister, said the UN panel was morally questionable for failing to take the rights of Mr Assange’s alleged victims into account.
“The ruling is factually upside down,” he said. “It lacks moral clarity for the UN to suggest what they have about Mr Assange’s position given that he holed himself up in the Ecuadorean embassy, and he is facing a serious allegation of rape.
“Sweden is not some tinpot banana republic. It’s a country with a wellrespected justice system.”
Mr Raab added: “He can forget about compensation, and frankly many people here will think this kind of nonsense undermines the credibility of the UN, which is not what we want.”
The decision provoked anger as MPs questioned why the UN was intervening on behalf of a man accused of serious sex crimes against women.
Mr Assange is alleged to have raped a woman known as SW, then aged 26, and committed other sexual offences against AA, a 31-year-old woman, in Sweden in 2010.
The lesser sexual allegations have lapsed because of the Swedish statute of limitations, or the maximum time within which criminal charges must be brought, but the rape allegation could see charges brought as late as 2020.
Mr Assange, 44, has denied the allegations.
The UN committee’s determinations are not considered legally binding by the Government, but Mr Assange’s lawyers suggested ministers were now compelled to act.
Baltasar Garzón, a member of the legal team, told a press conference in London: “It is imperative they [UK and Sweden] respect the decision,” adding that it was “mandatory to comply”.
Mr Assange said the UN’s ruling was a historic victory. Speaking yesterday afternoon from the balcony of the embassy, he said the ruling was a vindication and Britain’s refusal to appeal was proof the Government had conceded defeat.
He said: “How sweet it is! This is a victory that cannot be denied. It is a victory of historical importance.”
Calling on Britain and Sweden to end his detention, he suggested criminal prosecutions could be brought under the UN’s Convention Against Torture.
The former computer hacker fears he could eventually face extradition to the United States to be put on trial over the leak of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents.
In September 2014, Mr Assange filed a complaint against Sweden and Britain to the UN panel claiming his “confinement” in the embassy amounts to illegal detention.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority said the UN statement had “no formal impact” on its investigation.