WikiLeaks founder seeks political asylum from Ecuador
WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has spent his first night in the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he's seeking asylum. The 40-year-old Australian released a statement saying he'd been 'unfortunately abandoned' by his country and that he was 'grateful' for Ecuador's consideration of his application.
The move is being seen as a desperate attempt: Assange has been fighting extradition to Sweden for the best part of two years. Authorities there want him to answer rape allegations. He denies the charges. The former computer hacker believes if he's sent there, then it's the first step to sending him over to America to face charges over his organisation's internet release of massive amounts of sensitive US military and federal intelligence. He reckons he'd get an unfair trial and fears 'inhumane or degrading' treatment there.
The European Court of Human Rights would intervene if it thought that could be the case. So until then – and while Ecuador 'studies and analyses' his application - Assange sits tight under the government protection of a South American country which sees him as an ally against America.
Written & Presented by Marverine Cole
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