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back to article 'Incommunicado' Assange anoints new WikiLeaks editor in chief

Julian Assange has stepped down and named one of his former mouthpieces as WikiLeaks' new editor-in-chief. "Due to the extraordinary circumstances where Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been held incommunicado (except for visits by his lawyers) for six months while arbitrarily detained in the Ecuadorian embassy," …

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  1. Jove Bronze badge

    Thy End is Nigh

    We can take this development as an indication that Assange is preparing himself for the inevitable.

    He can bring the matter to a close - either by voluntarily handing himself over to UK Authorities, or by doing himself in - the latter option is the most effective in protecting Wikileaks from discoveries by investigations once under lock and key.

    The other is the old fashioned method were an individual, long beyond their days of value and more an irritant, and disposed off in a suitably underhand way.

    Either way, all parties concerned will be glad to see the end of this sorry little individual.

    2 0 Reply
  2. Bibbit

    Poor diddums

    He is there because he chose to jump bail and then scarper to the embassy and he can leave whenever he likes. He makes me sick, never mind how this must effect his alleged victims.

    I wonder if we can claw back the cash spent on police hours waiting for the little toad?

    7 0 Reply
  3. Admiral Grace Hopper

    Incommunicado? Sorta, kinda, maybe.

    In a cupboard? Has been for some while, probably will be for some time yet. Poor Ecuadoran embassy staff.

    1 0 Reply
  4. _LC_
    Megaphone

    Yuck! This forum is full of poop.

    Apparently, some agencies don't like Assange too much... Well, nobody wants that mob. Keep pretending that you're 'many'. We'll do a census soon enough. :-P

    0 9 Reply
  5. Velv
    Headmaster

    “while arbitrarily detained”

    There is nothing arbitrary about his detention, he is entirely there through his own choice. Nobody is stopping him walking out of the Embassy whenever he wants.

    9 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I think he also won the appeal launched by the UK government.

    https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/02/521632-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-arbitrarily-detained-sweden-and-uk-un-panel

    Of course this was during the era of illegal mass surveillance.

    Anyone working for the UK government (that has already commented) care to follow up?

    1 2 Reply
    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Of course this was during the era of illegal mass surveillance.

      Now we have legal mass surveillance. Plus ca change and all that. AFAIK the UN thing is just an opinion and doesn't have any legal weight. I think Assange & lawyers tried arguing this in UK courts, and were basically told he's been free to leave the embassy at any time.

      But initially he'd have been deported to Sweden, now he's just got his bail jumping to sort out. So he can leave, do a few weeks in jail for that, and then get deported to Ecuador once he's released. And I guess HMG might PNG him so he can't enter the UK in the future.

      (I'm not HMG, and I guess they may skip the jail time and go straight to deportation. Given he's demanded to be free to depart to Ecuador, challenging deportation could get tricky.)

      0 1 Reply
      1. Jove Bronze badge
        Reply Icon

        He will most likely be off to the US once he UK Authorities have him.

        0 0 Reply
      2. CRConrad
        Reply Icon

        Re: "he'd have been deported to Sweden, now he's just got his bail jumping to sort out"

        Nope, he may still have to face Swedish justice.

        The statute of limitations has run out on the charges of sexual assault, but the rape charge(s?) can still be re-opened until some time in 2020. The Swedish Crown's Counsel (? "DA", in Yank) can still re-open that. They never closed the case; only put it on ice because with him holed up in the embassy they weren't likely to get anywhere with their investigation. Now they are.

        0 0 Reply
  7. Brangdon

    passed the statute of limitations' deadline

    "Those charges have since passed the statute of limitations' deadline in Sweden and are no longer being pursued"

    The most serious accusation, of rape, hasn't passed the statute of limitations and is still outstanding. It isn't being actively pursued because the Swedes felt it was impossible to make progress while he was in the embassy, but if that situation changes it can be revived (and probably will be).

    7 0 Reply
    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: passed the statute of limitations' deadline

      "The most serious accusation, of rape, hasn't passed the statute of limitations and is still outstanding. It isn't being actively pursued because the Swedes felt it was impossible to make progress while he was in the embassy, but if that situation changes it can be revived (and probably will be)."

      And, IIRC, the statute of limitations (or whatever the Swedes call it in their legal system) is also on hold and so can't expire while the investigation is suspended. This effectively means St Jules has imposed a life sentence on himself.

      3 1 Reply
      1. CRConrad
        Reply Icon

        Re: passed the statute of limitations' deadline

        No, I'm afraid that isn't how it works; it's ticking down.

        Kind of makes sense: If that were the way it worked, the prosecutor would always find some reason to put it on hold, and then you wouldn't, in practice, have any statute of limitations any more.

        0 0 Reply
  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No WiFi, no problem.

    So he's an eccentric dude held captive* in a small space. He probably needs a hobby. Maybe he can raise pigeons (similar to Robert Stroud or Brooks Hatlen) and establish and RFC 1149 connection to the outside world.

    * For this post, by "captive" let's include everything from "imprisoned against his will by the Ecuadorians" through "Technically free to depart his current location but effectively barred from doing so due to the likely negative outcomes of leaving"

    0 0 Reply
  9. _LC_
    Pirate

    Mass report abuse?

    I could really report most of those posts as abusive. Those ‘allegations’ have already proven to be wrong, which doesn’t stop the 'three-letter-mobsters' from repeating them continuously. Then again, we all know where this 'manhunt propaganda' is coming from… (actual murderers there/protecting them) :-P

    0 2 Reply
    1. CRConrad
      Reply Icon

      What utter fucking bullshit.

      NOTHING has been "proven to be wrong". He's a rapist under Swedish law, and in all probability guilty of inciting crime (i.e, urged Maninng to hack or leak), which is itself also a crime, under US law.

      The only thing that has been proven to be wrong is Julian Asshat; he's surely proven himself to be a wrong'un.

      0 0 Reply

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