WikiLeaks' Julian Assange could face 'imminent' embassy expulsion

It's been evident for a while that the current Ecuadorian government isn't so fond of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange staying in its London embassy to avoid extradition, and now he may be close to getting the boot. Sources speaking to both the Times of London and CNN state that Assange is facing "imminent" expulsion. It's not certain when he might leave (if he does at all), but his team is reportedly prepping plans if he had to leave within "hours, days or weeks," according to the Times. The situation is "untenable," as CNN puts it -- and not just because of politics.

There's a degree of additional pressure following the US' indictment of 12 Russian officers over election-related hacking -- the charges offered not-so-subtle hints that investigators believed Russia coordinated the leak of hacked data with WikiLeaks to maximize its impact. However, Assange's legal team also asserted that his health is "deteriorating" after six years of living in the same place, with few chances to experience natural light. He didn't help matters when he lost internet privileges in March for violating Ecuador conditions forbidding political commentary, further cutting him off from the outside world.

Just what happens in an expulsion isn't clear. While Sweden suspended the sexual assault case that prompted Assange to hide in the Ecuadorian embassy, there has been talk of the US prepping espionage charges against him. CNN has confirmed that the UK is in "ongoing" negotiations with Ecuador and the US to make sure Assange isn't in danger if he leaves, but there's no guarantee that he'll exit with those kinds of promises in place. Short of a successful court objection, Assange might might face a prompt US extradition regardless of his condition.

Via: Business Insider

Source: Times of London (sign-in required), CNN



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2vc1pcl
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to...
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic...
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs? ...
Read more