2012-07-01 [Archive] Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador

Protestors outside the Ecuadorian Embassy WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

WL Central has been running a live-blog since the announcement. For the most recent coverage, see http://wlcentral.org/asylum.

2012-06-19 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 1)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

This comes after the UK Supreme Court refused a submission to reopen his case on June 14. Julian Assange has spent 560 days under house arrest without charge. His extradition to Sweden is set between June 28 and July 7.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Ecuador offered political asylum to Julian Assange in November 2010. At that time, Vice Chancellor Kintto Lucas stated, "We are open to grant him Ecuadorian residency, without any kind of problem or any kind of conditions." (President Rafeal Correa afterwards stated the offer was not official.)

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa was a guest on Julian Assange's talk show "The World Tomorrow" this past May. The full interview is available online in English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Arabic.

Updates will be added as they become available.

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[UPDATE: 23:10 BST] Glenn Greenwald has written an article covering Julian Assange's decision to seek political asylum in Ecuador. Kevin Gosztola has also covered it.

Mr Assange's mother, Christine, has come out in support of his decision to seek asylum, saying it shows clear thinking, but also comments she had no prior notice.

SwedenvsAssange tweeted the following in support of his decision:

You can only request political asylum if you are free to walk into an Embassy. In Sweden Assange would not be able to exercise his right.

RT America has also reported on the news. Watch their coverage below:

[UPDATE: 21:33 BST] Jesselyn Radack of the Government Accountability Project and Barrett Brown will also be on RT to discuss Mr Assange's request for political asylum.

Media currently outside Ecuadorian embassy waiting for Julian Assange (image via RT London).
EC embassy London

[UPDATE: 21:29 BST] Clark Stoeckley of the WikiLeaks Truck and Venezuelan author Eva Golinger will be on RT to discuss Julian Assange and his request for political asylum.

[UPDATE: 21:25 BST] Julian Assange's U.S. based lawyer Michael Ratner commented on the request via Twitter:

Julian's asylum not about questioning in Sweden. Facing life in solitary in US with no comm.for exposing war crimes, What Would You Do???
Sweden easier. Smaller. lawyers in UK remarkable. More public support. He would be in jail in Sweden, US lodges warrant and he never is out

2012-06-20 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 2)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 22:33 BST] Daniel Ellsberg has come out in support of Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum. He stated:

Political asylum was made for cases like this. Freedom for Julian in Ecuador would serve the cause of freedom of speech and of the press worldwide. It would be good for us all; and it would be cause to honor, respect and thank Ecuador.

Others who have come out in support of Mr Assange's decision include Coleen Rowley and Ray McGovern.

[UPDATE: 22:05 BST] A petition has been started in support of Julian Assange's request for asylum. It also asks that the U.S. does not intervene if Ecuador accepts his application. Currently it has 1,200 signatories.

A second petition is also available at RootsAction.

A vigil for Mr Assange was held in front of the DFAT in Brisbane, June 20th. A rally is also taking place at the DFAT in Sydney on June 21st, 5-7PM.

[UPDATE: 20:25 BST] Kier Simmons of ITV News spoke with Kristinn Hrafnsson. According to him, Julian Assange will be spending another night at the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Jason Farrell of Sky News also spoke with Mr Hrafnsson and will have more information shortly.

Australian journalist Mary Kostakidis wrote to the Ecuadorian Embassy expressing her concern for Julian Assange and asking that Ecuador grant him asylum.

[UPDATE: 18:20 BST] Kristinn Hrafnsson has come out from the Ecuadorian Embassy and is currently speaking with the media. (image via @trh_humunculus)

[UPDATE: 17:50 BST] Jesselyn Radack from the Government Accountability Project was on RT discussing Julian Assange's application for asylum. She discusses the real risks he faces in the U.S., where the Obama Administration has been waging a "war on whistleblowers".

[UPDATE: 16:10 BST] WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson has arrived. at the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Julian Assange's U.S. lawyer Michael Ratner was on Democracy Now! discussing Mr Assange's decision to seek political asylum in Ecuador. He discusses the real risks that Mr Assange faces if extradited to the U.S., and the refusal by the Australian Government to provide assurances that he wouldn't be extradited there.

labSurlab and other organizations published a press release urging Ecuador to support Mr Assange's request for asylum. The letter is available in its original Spanish, and an English translation is available as well.

[UPDATE: 14:50 BST] UK Pirate Party leader Loz Kaye appeared on RT discussing Julian Assange's application for asylum and the threat of U.S. extradition.

Glenn Greenwald wrote an op-ed for The Guardian about Mr Assange's right to seek asylum and why his concerns about U.S. extradition and prosecution are justified.

Supporters of Mr Assange and members of the media are currently in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy. (Images via George Sargent)

BBC published a "Q & A" about Mr Assange and diplomatic asylum. Anthony Aust, who served in the British Diplomatic Service for 35 years, said there was "no physical way to get Mr Assange from the embassy to Ecuador itself without the risk of him being arrested by UK police".

[UPDATE: 13:35 BST] The Embassy of Ecuador in London has posted official contact details relating to Julian Assange's asylum application:

"Please use 0207 590 2503 or ecuembpress@gmail.com"

NYT eXaminer reported on Mr Assange's request, commenting on The New York Times' use of "protective asylum" rather than "political asylum".

Graphic artist Somerset Bean has created a badge design in support of Mr Assange's decision to seek asylum.

[UPDATE: 13:07 BST] RT published an exclusive interview with Julian Assange's mother, Christine. She discusses his decision to seek asylum and his abandonment by the Australian government.

Another journalist has spoken with Gavin MacFadyen, reiterating previous comments that Mr Assange is doing well and in good spirits.

[UPDATE: 12:54 BST] A police spokeswoman stated that Julian Assange is subject to arrest under the Bail Act for breaching his curfew restriction. Police were seen entering and leaving the Embassy on the night of June 19. The Foreign Office said Mr Assange was "beyond the reach of the police" as he is in an embassy and on diplomatic territory.

Gavin McFayden visited Julian Assange and said he is in good spirits and staying in a room with a bed and TV, according to journalist Paraic O'Brien.

RT continues it's coverage of Mr Assange's request for asylum, interviewing political campaigner Peter Tatchell.

Julian Burnside was interviewed on ABC Radio about Mr Assange seeking asylum.

ABC's The Drum also discussed Mr Assange's decision for asylum, with panelists Joe Hildebrand from the Daily Telegraph, Jessica Irvine from the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC Radio National Sunday Extra presenter Jonathan Green, and Ecuador's Ambassador to Australia Raul Gangotena.

UK Friends of WikiLeaks have drafted a letter to the Ecuadorian Embassy regarding Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum and are asking that supporters mail it.

Nearly 17 hours after WikiLeaks made the announcement that Mr Assange was seeking asylum, and his name continues to trend on Twitter.

[UPDATE: 08:45 BST] Vaughan Smith tweeted a correction to BBC's quotation of him: "My BBC quote on ‪#Assange‬ asylum is wrong. A well-funded campaign to undermine him for nearly 2 years, not just a few months."

[UPDATE: 07:55 BST] Australian journalist Phillip Dorling reported on what would happen in the event that Julian Assange's asylum is accepted, or if it is denied:

In the event Ecuador grants Mr Assange asylum, any movement outside the Ecuadorean Embassy would be subject to negotiation and agreement between the governments of the United Kingdom and Ecuador.

Should his application be rejected, he would be most likely be arrested once he left the embassy and his extradition to Sweden would proceed.

Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam approached the Senate regarding WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, and whether the Australian Government would prevent attempts by the U.S. to extradite and prosecute him. Chris Evans, acting representative for Prime Minister, first answered the question with jokes about Twitter, and then gave a vague answer.

[UPDATE: 05:00 BST] Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard commented on Julian Assange's decision to request political asylum. She said he can make his own decisions and that the Australian Government will continue to provide him consular support. Though the lack of support from the Australian Government is one of the reasons Mr Assange has chosen to seek asylum in Ecuador.

Crikey's Guy Rundle has also covered the news, explaining why it is reasonable for Mr Assange to be seeking asylum.

[UPDATE: 04:40 BST] Julian Assange (sometimes #Assange) has been trending on Twitter since the announcement nine hours ago. Ecuador and #WikiLeaks have also trended.

Australian citizens will be protesting at the Sydney DFAT against their Government's poor treatment of Mr Assange on June 21, 5PM.

As a reminder of the threat Mr Assange faces from the U.S., there is a list of political figures who have called for his assassination.

[UPDATE: 03:42 BST] Jacob Appelbaum has posted his letter to the Government of Ecuador, urging them to grant Julian Assange asylum.

The Alyona Show covered Mr Assange's request for asylum during its "Main Stream Miss" section. Watch the video below.

[UPDATE: 03:40 BST] Filmmaker Michael Moore put out a statement regarding Julian Assange's request for political asylum. Here is his statement in full:

BREAKING: The Ecuadorian embassy in London has just given sanctuary to WikiLeaks' Jullian Assange. He is asking them for political assylum (which they had offered him in the past). Well, thank you Ecuador! IMHO, there is no doubt that if the UK sends him to Sweden, Sweden will send him to the USA. Sweden says they "just want to talk to him" about the accusations leveled at him (he has still not been charged with any crime). If Swedish police want to question him, there is an SAS flight that leaves Stockholm at 7:55 tomorrow morning (flight #525) to London. I'm sure the British authorities would have no problem with the Swedish police questioning Mr. Assange. Then Sweden can decide if it wants to charge him with a crime. Any and all allegations of sexual abuse by anyone and to anyone MUST be treated very seriously, and Mr. Assange should cooperate with the inquiry. But it appears that Sweden has little interest in these charges - what they really want is the ability to extradite Assange to America. And that, simply, must not happen.

Many supporters have been writing to the Embassy of Ecuador in London to voice their support for Mr Assange. You can do so via an online form at their official website. An email address is listed, but all emails seem to be bouncing.

[UPDATE: 01:55 BST] Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam was on ABC discussing Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum. He said Mr. Assange's concerns are well-founded after being labeled a terrorist by the U.S. Vice President and Stratfor emails revealing a sealed indictment against him. Watch the interview below.

Senator Ludlam also spoke in front of the Senate doors on the matter.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-20 00:30 BST] WikiLeaks has published an effective "declaration of abandonment" from the Australian Government, which refuses to protect Julian Assange or make any requests on his behalf.

2012-06-21 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 3)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

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[UPDATE: 22:17 BST] Audio from Julian Assange's interview today with ABC Radio Nation Breakfast is now available. We are currently working on a transcript.

[UPDATE: 22:03 BST] Julian Assange was on ABC Radio National Breakfast discussing his application for asylum in Ecuador. The audio is not online yet, but will be available at the Breakfast website. We will provide transcript shortly after.

Washington Post's poll currently shows that 84% of people believe that Julian Assange should be allowed to leave Britain for asylum in Ecuador.

[UPDATE: 20:18 BST] Supporters of Julian Assange have been holding a vigil outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since Mr Assange applied for bail. The vigil will continue tomorrow morning.

[UPDATE: 20:10 BST] At the Rio+20 conference, Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa made the following statement (originally in Spanish; translation via Professor's Blogg):

Ecuador is a territory of peace, justice, and truth – as described by Assange in his Asylum-petition letter.

We are very seriously analysing the reasons presented by Assange in his asylum request. We do not permit that the life of any human being shall be in danger. We believe that the first right of the humans is the right to life.

We refute political persecutions regardless of the ideology a person holds.

[UPDATE: 20:00 BST] Vaughan Smith was interviewed by Reuters about Julian Assange's request for asylum. Mr Smith is a friend of Mr Assange's who provided his house arrest location for a year and also helped provide his bail surety.

We seem to welcome it when a Chinese dissident goes to an American embassy, but when an Australian dissident in London goes to an Ecuadorean embassy we try to suggest it's nuts.

On Mr Assange's concerns about extradition to the U.S. and charges that could lead to life imprisonment or death, Mr Smith said the following:

I don't think we should be blind to that possibility. He clearly believes that. We can't comment whether that's realistic, but I think we can accept that it's reasonable for him to believe that.

Mr Smith continued:

He is no fool. He is a clever man, and he is very committed to his work at WikiLeaks which he is convinced serves a social purpose. I can assure you that he's committed to carrying on, and that's what I believe is his main motivator.

Why should we automatically assume that justice is freely available to Assange in Sweden?

Mr Smith also criticized Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt for commenting publicly on the Assange case:

We would be disturbed by that in this country. We would feel it was not correct.

Considering the uniqueness of his situation, the Swedes could have attempted to reassure him and they haven't. They've done absolutely nothing to reassure him.

Jemima Khan, another supporter who helped provide bail, commented on Twitter:

For the record, in response to those asking about Assange & bail money....

I personally would like to see Assange confront the rape allegations in Sweden and the 2 women at the centre have a right to a response

BUT there is no doubt that Assange has a real fear of being extradited to the US nor that the US gov is out to get WikiLeaks.

[UPDATE: 19:00 BST] Sarah Saunders visited Mr Asange at the Ecuadorian Embassy. She said he is working hard on his asylum bid with the lawyers, and is comfortable and in good spirits. Ms Saunders is one of the supporters who helped put up surety, but she is not worried about her money at this stage.

[UPDATE: 18:17 BST] WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson visited Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy today. He said it could be hours or days before a decision in reached in Mr Assange's application for asylum. Ecuador has asked for information from Britain, Sweden and the United States to study before deciding whether or not to accept his request. Mr Assange is in good spirits and prepared to wait things out in the Embassy.

[UPDATE: 17:30 BST] Julian Assange's U.S. lawyer Michael Ratner was on RT disccusing the recent developments in his application for asylum. Mr Ratner said this was an important move, as he faces the worst prison in the U.S. with 40+ years in prison or the death penalty.

[UPDATE: 17:27 BST] Christine Assange spoke with her son over the phone recently.

The people who gave surety for his bail support his action. He's got his own money tied up in that as well and his understanding is that (seeking) asylum is an appeal process and his bail should be protected because of that.Julian told me that the asylum process is internationally recognised as a legitimate form of appeal and that the bail should not be forfeited.

The Crown Prosecution Service representing Sweden has been trying to stop ... Julian take his case to the Court of Human Rights. The Supreme Court gave him 14 days to get his appeal in but they (Sweden) are pushing for no days ... which would close that avenue of appeal. That's one of the reasons why he sought asylum.

If they are going to have to go through a detailed legal submission, it's not going to happen overnight. I don't know what his plan is. I guess that will be decided when his asylum is granted.

The fact is that many countries are signatories to this Universal Declaration for Human Rights but it seems that the US and UK and Australia and Sweden have abdicated their responsibility.

[Julian's] spirits are buoyed by the support and he's grateful and humble and thanks his supporters, including those in the media, and he's in fighting spirit. Hearing him sound OK and knowing that he is at least in good hands made a huge difference to me.

Democracy Now! reported on the most recent updated in Julian Assange's application for asylum. They briefly interviewed WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson.

Business Insider published "8 Reasons Why Ecuador Should Give Julian Assange Asylum".

Alexa O'Brien has been gathering evidence which shows the U.S. plan to prosecute Julian Assange, as well as six others. The FBI is targeting those seven civilians for "criminal activity and espionage".

RT correspondent Sarah Firth tweeted:

Interesting - Embassy’s cars are also inviolable so re safe passage #Assange could hop in a diplomatic car http://www.morton-fraser.com/news/2801_assange_in_the_embassy_history_repeating_itself

This means, if granted asylum, Mr Assange may have an easier time getting to Ecuador than previously thought.

[UPDATE: 16:27 BST] According to an overheard journalist, the decision for Julian Assange's asylum request is unlikely to come today, despite the 24 hour period previously set by Ecuador's Deputy Foreign Minister Marco Albuja. WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said Mr Assange is working and comfortable.

Firedoglake's Kevin Gosztola wrote an article dissecting the sneering reaction by the media to Mr Assange's asylum request, including rehashing old smears that Mr Assange is anti-American and that he is doing this for attention.

[UPDATE: 16:10 BST] Washington Post is holding a poll asking its readers whether Julian Assange should be allowed to leave Britain for asylum in Ecuador. Currently 79% of voters have said he should.

Supporters of Julian Assange continuing rallying outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, despite the rain. (photo via @sombernessunlit)

[UPDATE: 15:55 BST] Twitter users are organizing #Stand4JA, asking people to head to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and be there to ensure Julian Assange can leave the Embassy safely. He will be arrested by the London Police when leaving for breaking his curfew, a part of his bail conditions. A Pirate Pad is also open for discussion and planning.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated she will not meet with Ecuadorian President Rafeal Correa during the Rio+20 Summit.

Julian Assange's mother, Christine, attacked Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr for failing to provide adiquate protections for her son.

This is a person who is uncharged, unquestioned, decorated all around the world for his journalism. It's really awful, here's my kid over there, alone in a foreign embassy with the cops out the side salivating. It's absolutely disgusting.

[UPDATE: 09:55 BST] Sarah Joseph, Director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law at Monash University, wrote an article about what is likely to happen next for Julian Assange, depending on whether his request for asylum is approved by the Ecuadorian Government.

Twitter users have been sending their concerns and questions about Mr Assange to Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr using the hashtag #askbob.

A rally in support of Julian Assange is currently taking place in Sydney. Speakers include Cameron Murphy, Richard Neville, Professor Jake Lynch, with statements being read from Phillip Adams, Austin Mackell, Mary Kostakidis, and local Ecuadorian activists.
(photos via @CassPF)

IT Friends of Bradley Manning has posted some photos from the ongoing London vigil for Julian Assange being held in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Adelaide Friends of WikiLeaks are holding a meeting to discuss Mr Assange's situation and plan future support action. The meeting will be held at Alfonso's, 202 Hutt Street, June 24 at 2PM.

[UPDATE: 07:50 BST] In his letter requesting asylum sent to Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, Julian Assange stated "he wants to continue his mission in a country ... without limits, to reveal the truth, in a place of peace dedicated to truth and justice". President Correa said he was impressed with the letter.

The Australian Senate passed a motion by the Greens to withdraw prejudicial statements made against Julian Assange. Here is the full text of the motion:

To move - That the Senate-

Notes that:
1. Inconsistent or selective application of the Consular Services Charter leaves Australian citizens in doubt about the level of assistance they may receive if facing difficulties overseas.

Calls on the Prime Minister to:

1. Ensure that the government's efforts and engagement on behalf of Mr. Julian Assange are consistent with the highest level of support provided to other Australians in difficulty overseas.

2. Retract prejudicial statements regarding the illegality of Wikileaks publishing endeavours, found to be groundless by the Australian Federal Police, which have the potential to seriously jeopardise the potential for any fair trial or hearing for Mr. Assange.

The Australian Socialist Equality Party (SEP) condemned the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her Labor Government for "its role in forcing WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange to seek asylum in Ecuador", i.e. failure to give him even the basic assurances that he would be protected from U.S. extradition and prosecution.

NYT eXaminer tracked the changes that NYT journalist Ravi Somaiya made to his article about Julian Assange's application for asylum. It shows how he started with an angle focused on Ecuador, changed to Mr Assange's violation of bail conditions, and then to a "stand off" between Britain and Ecuador. It also shows that an entire paragraph on the WikiLeaks Grand Jury was deleted.

Bernard Keane wrote an op-ed in Crikey which comments on how the U.S. "has already won" against WikiLeaks by strangling it with a financial blockade and causing Mr Assange to request asylum due to the real concern that the U.S. will extradite and prosecute him.

Today, Crikey's "First Dog on the Moon" comic was about Julian Assange's application for asylum in Ecuador.

[UPDATE: 03:50 BST] Sydney Morning Herald has published "A rough guide to refuge in Ecuador" which details what Julian Assange may expect if his request for political asylum is granted.

Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam wrote an article for The Drum entitled "No surprise Assange looking elsewhere for support". He describes the hostile environments in both Australia and the U.S. towards the WikiLeaks founder.

[UPDATE: 03:08 BST] A vigil for Julian Assange outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London is continuing overnight, according to an email sent out by WISE UP for Bradley Manning. Those present at the vigil are asking that people come with tents and umbrellas.

Ecuadorian Embassy Location:
Flat 3B 3 Hans Crescent
London SW1X 0LS.
Tel: 020 7584 1367
Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge

[UPDATE: 02:45 BST] Human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson visited Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy. In an interview with ABC AM, she commented that Mr Assange would not have the option to seek asylum after extradition to Sweden. She also stated that Mr Assange remains willing to be questioned by the Swedish prosecution while at the Embassy.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard recently stated: "Our High Commisison in London is ... discussing the matter involving Mr ‪Assange‬ directly with their counterparts from Equador."

The Young Turks discussed Mr Assange's application for political asylum. Watch the segment below. (Please note that despite the use of the word "charges", Mr Assange has not been charged with any crime.)

[UPDATE: 02:02 BST] The Alyona Show discussed Julian Assange's request for political asylum in depth, featuring Jesselyn Radack from the Government Accountability Project and Kevin Zeese of the Bradley Manning Support Network.

[UPDATE: 01:48 BST] Many of Julian Assange's high-profile supporters who provided his bail have come out in favor of his decision to seek asylum.

Tariq Ali:

I totally approve. Why the double-standards? A Chinese dissident becomes a folk-hero for reaching the US embassy, but a Western dissident doing the same re a South American embassy is not kosher. Fuck the money.

Phillip Knightly:

I would [provide bail] again. He felt as I do that he’s a victim of a conspiracy. He’s been found guilty of nothing. The Swedes want to plug him in irons as soon as he arrived.

Bianca Jagger:

I wouldn’t presume to advise Julian Assange on a course of action. Only he and his legal team can make an informed judgement.

One thing I know is that the US Federal government can impose the death penalty. For many years I have campaigned on behalf of prisoners on death row in America. I know how many miscarriages of justice take place. This is one of the reasons I have been campaigning for the abolition of the death penalty in the USA and throughout the world.

If one looks at the trial of Bradley Manning, which has been an appalling mockery of the judicial process, one can understand Julian Assange’s concern. He fears that justice will not be served if he is extradited to the United States.

[UPDATE: 01:00 BST] Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño Aroca made a statement on Twitter regarding Julian Assange's request for asylum. Here is a translation via @Jaraparilla:

Thanks for the thousands of messages received regarding the request for political asylum made by Julian Assange to the govt of Ecuador yesterday. Assange's request requires in depth analysis. Ecuador declares that it will protect the human rights to life and freedom of expression. We are now studying the risk claimed by Assange of being judged for political reasons and that he could be condemned to death. Ecuador's constitution respects the right to life, does not recognize the death penalty and fully defends freedom of expression. The Ecuadorean government led by Rafael Correa has maintained a sovereign and principal foreign policy which will not change now.

[UPDATE: 00:50 BST] RT interviewed WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson outside the Ecuadorian Embassy. He says Mr Assange is in good spirits as always and is certain he has made the right move by requesting asylum. Watch the interview below.

An vigil for Julian Assange will take place at the Occupy Frankfurt Camp on 23 June, from 9PM.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-21 00:13 BST] Ecuador's Deputy Foreign Minister Marco Albuja stated that the decision on Julian Assange's asylum request is expected within 24 hours.

A thousand apologies, but we still can't make a final decision public yet until tomorrow. The national government is considering its position and the president will give us his instructions tomorrow. So the only information I can add is to refer you to statements already made.

Per E Samuelson, Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer, was on Sveriges Radio. He said Mr Assange is not afraid of the allegations in Sweden, but rather his potential extradition to the U.S. He also said things are a bit chaotic now, but Mr Assange has a temporary room in the Embassy and everything is under control.

RT America gave an update on Mr Assange's current status:

Christine Assange was interviewed on RT about her son's choice to seek asylum.

2012-06-22 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 4)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 17:40 BST] There is still no indication of when Ecuador will make its decision on whether or not to grant Julian Assange political asylum. Democracy Now! and RT's The Big Picture reported on the latest:

@RTLondonBureau and @SaraFirth_RT have been tweeting from outside the Ecuadorian Embassy. WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson visited again today, John Pilger, journalist and friend of Mr Assange. Supporters continue holding a vigil outside the embassy.

Many articles have been coming out in support of Mr Assange's decision to seek asylum. James McEnteer, an author who lives in Quito, says "Come to Ecuador, Julian!" while journalist Ron Ridenour at Dissident Voice tells his readers to "Unite with Julian Assange". An article in OpEdNews explains "Why Americans Support Julian Assange and his Quest for Asylum in Ecuador".

While Mr Assange has been at the Embassy, the Progetto Winston Smith organisation awarded him "for his exceptional dedication to the promotion of transparency and public disclosure in the interest of civil society and human rights".

An article at the Washington Post from the editorial board, insinuating that Ecuador would face dire economic difficulties were it to accept Mr Assange into asylum:

There is one potential check on Mr. Correa's ambitions. The U.S. "empire" he professes to despise happens to grant Ecuador (which uses the dollar as its currency) special trade preferences that allow it to export many goods duty-free. A full third of Ecuadoran foreign sales ($10 billion in 2011) go to the United States, supporting some 400,000 jobs in a country of 14 million people. Those preferences come up for renewal by Congress early next year. If Mr. Correa seeks to appoint himself America's chief Latin American enemy and Julian Assange's protector between now and then, it's not hard to imagine the outcome.

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern was interviewed about Mr Assange's decision to seek asylum, discussing the Washington Post's comment mentioned above.

Greens Senator Scott Ludlam asked the Australian Government to explain its statements denouncing WikiLeaks. Watch the video below.

[UPDATE: 06:45 BST] I4U News put out a collection of photos related to Julian Assange's application for asylum. The photos include pictures of WikiLeaks staff and supporters outside the Ecuadorian Embassy and a photo of activists in Ecuador demonstrating in Quito (pictured below).

In the Washington Post poll about whether Julian Assange should receive asylum, the percentage of "yes" voters has constantly gone up. It currently stands that 87% of people believe Mr Assange should be allowed to leave Britain for asylum in Ecuador.

[UPDATE: 05:30 BST] RT America went over the many assassination threats from U.S. political figures directed toward Julian Assange:

An Ecuador TV Channel of the National Public Network is going to televise the episode of "The World Tomorrow" in which Julian Assange interviewed President Rafael Correa.

Professor of International Law Donald Rothwell was interviewed about Mr Assange's application for asylum, saying, if his application is granted, he may not have diplomatic status under the Vienna Convention that could get him to an airport in an Ecuadorian Embassy car.

[UPDATE: 04:50 BST] Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa was asked a question about Julian Assange's request for asylum during a conference in Rio. Below are tweets from Manuel Beltrán, who was translating the President's comments into English:

"Julian Assange, as crazy as to refuge in our embassy" "The censorship imposed to Assange" Correa about #Assange

"Ecuador loves the peace, the truth, we cannot accept this persecution for the ideas of #Assange" - #Correa

"There are conversations going on, we dont want confrontations with other countries like UK, we are analyzing the situation"#Assange

Journalist: "2 years ago the president said that maybe #Assange did something ilegal but the end was good" President Correa denies it.

The tone of president Correa sounds like the aceptance of the asylum it's just a matter of time. #Assange

"Assange will stay all the time he wants or needs under the protection of the Ecuatorian Embassy" Words of president Correa! #Wikileaks

The president doesn't say so much new about #Assange but gives a image of Ecuador as a freedom speech supporter country.

"Decision will take into account international laws and the traditional policy of Ecuador to safeguarding human rights" #Assange

Correa didn't replied a journalist about how the process of transferring #Assange from UK to Ecuador will happen.

We will post full text of President Correa's answer should it become available.

[UPDATE: 03:10 BST] Lawyer and human rights activist Kellie Tranter wrote an article detailing why Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum from Ecuador shouldn't be so surprising. She gives reasons why Ecuador is a good choice and the effects that WikiLeaks cables have had on the country. She also comments on the lack of support Australia has provided to Mr Assange.

A letter written by Australian journalist Austin Mackell was read at the recent rally for Julian Assange in Sydney. Here is an excerpt:

I would like to start once more by saying how honoured I am that the organisers sought to include my sentiments in today's events, and for the continuous support I have received from so many of those who also fight for Assange and Wikileaks.

For those of you unfamiliar with my case, I am an Australian journalist who was arrested in Mahalla, a textile town outside of Cairo, while trying to interview a union leader. My colleagues and I were held for a total of 56 hours by the police, the state security services and military intelligence, as well as a few hours in the care of the general prosecutor's office, where we were charged with inciting vandalism. Specifically it is alleged we promised to give money to children if they threw rocks at a police station. The charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. Four months has passed without a decision about whether to set a trial date or let us go. While embassy staff have done all they can without leadership from Canberra, the Australian government is yet to speak out or act on my behalf.

It is my belief that one reason for their reluctance, is that by acting on my behalf, they would be setting their failure to act on Assange in too sharp a contrast. It is a reminder, one that should be heeded by the Australian press in particular, that giving up on the freedom of one, not only morally, but also practically, compromises the freedom of all.

The full letter is available at Austin Mackell's website.

A public forum on "WikiLeaks, Assange, & Democracy" will be held at the Coombs Theatre, A.N.U., Canberra, June 27 at 7PM. Speakers include Christine Assange, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, Crikey journalist Bernard Keane, historian Humphrey McQueen, former Guantanamo detainee David Hicks, and human rights & social justice advocate Aloysia Brooks. The event will be chaired by former SBS World News presenter Mary Kostakidis. A live-stream will be available via the Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition.

[UPDATE: 01:58 BST] A statement of support by Phillip Adams was read at the Sydney rally for Julian Assange:

Rupert Murdoch used to be Australia's most famous/notorious media identity on the international stage. A little while ago, he was pushed off the pedestal by Julian Assange, with News Ltd eclipsed by WikiLeaks. We're dealing with two very different success stories and degrees of notoriety. Many of us find the situation amusing, if it wasn't so damned serious. Rupert, of course, can look after himself, but Assange needs our ongoing help and concern. How sad that Julian had to seek asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy. But then he'd find it hard to get any asylum in the Australian Embassy. Instead of an immense surge of Australian pride for Assange's contribution to what's left of democracy, we seem intent on aiding and abetting the U.S. in its attempts to ensnare him in their legal - and I use the term 'legal' very loosely - tentacles.

I first became aware of Julian's genius for creative subterfuge on Late Night Live many years ago when he was a most ingenious hacker. A little later he asked me to be the Australian representative on the advisory board of something called WikiLeaks and, impressed with the concept, I was delighted to agree. Over the years he's never asked mr to advise him on anything, but let me advise him now, or at least repeat what I've said to him and about him on a number of recent programs. You, Julian Assange, are a remarkable person and your creation - a sort of Freedom of Information service on a planetary scale - has been of crucial importance in the endless struggle to keep our political leaders, and their military cohorts, under control. My advice to you? Keep you chin up. For every powerful enemy you have countless thousands of friends, as today's rally demonstrates.

A petition (in Spanish) has been created at Avaaz calling for Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa to accept Julian Assange's request for political asylum.

A massive rally in support of Julian Assange will be on the steps of the State Library in Melbourne, July 1 starting at 1PM. Speakers include Adam Bandt MP (deputy leader of the Australian Greens), Patrick O'Connor (SEP candidate), Lizzie O'Shea (human rights lawyer), Robbie Thorpe (indigenous activist), Daniel Mathews (founding member of WikiLeaks). Rap News will also be making a special live appearance.

RT covered the latest news in Julian Assange's request for asylum, with RT Web Producer Andrew Blake. Watch the segment below.

RT America also reported on the latest events, with their London correspondent Sarah Firth:

[UPDATE: 00:50 BST] Gavin MacFadyen of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism gave an interview about Julian Assange's request for asylum in Ecuador. He mentions the good atmosphere he experienced at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, including the helpful staff. He contests claims that supporters are moving away from Mr Assange after his decision to seek asylum. He also discussed the hostile environment towards WikiLeaks and Mr Assange currently present in the U.S. Read the full interview at Publica.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-22 00:04 BST] Transcript of Julian Assange's interview from the Ecuadorian Embassy is now available. In the interview Mr Assange discusses why he chose to seek asylum from Ecuador, his abandonment by the Australian Government, and evidence from the U.S. grand jury into WikiLeaks.

2012-06-23 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 5)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

Bob Ellis, Australian writer, journalist, film-maker, and political commentator, wrote an article detailing how Julian Assange is in real danger of assassination. He explains that it is not farfetched to believe this, as four U.S. presidential candidates have called for his death, alleged leaker Bradley Manning has dealt with horrendous treatment, and "assassination is American foreign policy now".

Jacob Appelbaum tweeted the following:

It appears that just as Julian is requesting asylum that attempts at physical surveillance have returned to my life. Classy and predictable.

Al Jazeera covered a rally held in London today against extradition laws. The protest highlighted the cases of Talha Ahsan, Babar Ahmad, Richard O'Dwyer, Gary McKinnon, as well as Julian Assange. Watch the video below. (Note: It is stated in the video that Mr Assange faces charges - this is false. He has not been charged with any crime.)

Julian Assange also currently tops Al Jazeera English's website.

[UPDATE: 23:20 BST] Glenn Greenwald has written further on Julian Assange's bid for asylum, commenting on the attacks against him, specifically from The Washington Post.

In particular, this sneering, threatening, blindly jingoistic Washington Post Editorial is a classic illustration of this prevailing media attitude: the democratically elected Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa, is “a small-time South American autocrat” because he defies the U.S.; Assange and Correa’s criticisms of American foreign policy are “anti-American slanders and paranoia”; granting Assange asylum would make Correa “a hero with the global anti-American left”; Congress should punish Ecuador if it grants asylum by withdrawing its “special trade preferences that allow it to export many goods duty-free”, etc. etc. As always in American media discourse: Our Side is the Embodiment of Freedom and Justice and anyone who criticizes Us are anti-freedom haters (as President Correa said in an interview yesterday: “if we had done a hundredth of what they did to Assange, we would be called dictators and oppressors”). The Post Editorial also contains this amazing passage:

The WikiLeaks man claims, after all, that he is resisting extradition to Sweden because he believes he will be subsequently turned over to the United States and exposed to the death penalty. That no U.S. charges or extradition case are open against him is irrelevant to this fantasy.

He then lists numerous articles from the Washington Post which have stated the possibility of Mr Assange being charged.

We have published an analysis of the smears and misconceptions about Mr Assange's application for asylum.

Democracy Now! tweeted that it's recent interview with Mr Assange's U.S. lawyer Michael Ratner about his bid for asylum is the "most viewed". If you missed the interview earlier, watch it below:

[UPDATE: 16:20 BST] Ecuadorian Ambassador to Britain Anna Alban is due to fly back to Quito to discuss the matter of Julian Assange's political asylum.

With further discussion scheduled, it is unlikely we will see a decision from Ecuador on Mr Assange's application for asylum for at least a few days.

RT reported on the latest updates in Mr Assange's decision to seek asylum:

Cryptome published a collection of photos from outside the Ecuadorian Embassy.

[UPDATE: 10:15 BST] Filmmaker John Pilger gave a very brief comment outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after visiting Julian Assange:

He's in great spirits... unusually good spirits.

Green Left Weekly published an editorial: "Assange is right to seek asylum".

Graphic artist @SomersetBean has created series of posters in support of Julian Assange and his decision to seek asylum. One set, entitled "Not Running, Fighting", explains extradition facts of the U.S., Sweden, and Australia. He has also created a number of large placards with various slogans and the "Justice for Assange" website.

Vaughan Smith was on CNN discussing Mr Assange's decision to seek asylum, the criticism of Ecuador's free speech record, the campaign against Mr Assange, and his status as a Western dissident.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-23 02:32 BST] Ecuador recalled its ambassador to Britain to discuss what to do about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. President Rafael Correa stated, "We are calling our ambassador back for consultations because this is a very serious matter."

A high-level petition from Just Foreign Policy has been created.

Just Foreign Policy also published a letter from Michael Moore, Danny Glover, Oliver Stone, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Wolf, and many, many more requesting Mr Assange be accepted into asylum.

Dear President Correa,

We are writing to urge you to grant political asylum to Julian Assange.

As you know, British courts recently struck down Mr. Assange's appeal against extradition to Sweden, where he is not wanted on criminal charges, but merely for questioning. Mr. Assange has repeatedly made clear he is willing to answer questions relating to accusations against him, but in the United Kingdom. But the Swedish government insists that he be brought to Sweden for questioning. This by itself, as Swedish legal expert and former Chief District Prosecutor for Stockholm Sven-Erik Alhem testified, is "unreasonable and unprofessional, as well as unfair and disproportionate."

We believe Mr. Assange has good reason to fear extradition to Sweden, as there is a strong likelihood that once in Sweden, he would be imprisoned, and then likely extradited to the United States.

Read the full letter and see the full list of signatories here.

Australian journalist Phillip Dorling wrote an article, "Are Assange's fears justified?"

The short answer is a great deal of evidence - from the public statements of the US government, Australian diplomatic reports released to Fairfax Media under freedom-of-information laws, and disclosures in the pre-court martial proceedings concerning US Army private Bradley Manning who faces 22 charges, including the most serious one of "aiding the enemy" by disclosing classified military information. There has never been that much secrecy about the US government's determination to pursue WikiLeaks.

Read the full article for an in-depth explanation of the evidence supporting Mr Assange's fears of U.S. extradition and prosecution.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa made the following statement in an interview published today:

In Ecuador, if someone had done one hundredth of what has been done to Assange, they would be called dictators and oppressors.

One of Julian Assange's Swedish lawyers, Thomas Olsson, says that the prosecution is attempting to use Mr Assange's bid for asylum to their advantage. He also says that, while Mr Assange would likely be cleared of all allegations in Sweden, his fear of U.S. extradition and prosecution is reasonable.

Julian Assange is "Truthdigger of the Week". The article states: "Few people have so fully devoted their lives to exposing abuses of power as WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange". Regarding his asylum application, it says the following:

Even though Assange has broken no international law in seeking asylum from Ecuador, some, including New Statesman columnist David Allen Green, have portrayed him as a fugitive on the run. Assange has inspired the hatred of many since he first became internationally known in 2010. Much of that animosity has come from journalists and news organizations who have failed to do what Assange has done so spectacularly in the short time WikiLeaks has been operating: Make people and organizations who do bad things in secret think twice about doing them at all, because someone devoted to truth and transparency might expose them.

Green Left Weekly published "the real story" behind Ecuador's support for media freedom.

When Julian Assange sought asylum on June 19, the question many WikiLeaks supporters asked was: "Why the Ecuadorian embassy?"

The simple answer is because the Ecuadorian government has been one of the strongest supporters of WikiLeaks, which reflects its strong stance in defence of media and information freedom.

Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says Australia has given up on Julian Assange. He discusses the lack of assistance they have provided, while evidence builds of U.S. plans to prosecute him.

2012-06-24 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 6)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 18:05 BST] A vigil for Julian Assange, supporting his bid for asylum, will be held in Washington D.C. today (June 24), 6 PM at the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Embassy of Ecuador
1050 30th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20009

Australian journalist Phillip Dorling writes that Mr Assange is seeking asylum in hopes of eliciting diplomatic guarantees that he will not be prosecuted in the U.S. on charges of espionage or conspiracy.

Julian Assange's interview from inside the Ecuadorian Embassy has been translated into German.

[UPDATE: 06:25 BST] Australian Attorney-General Nicola Roxon told Newtwork Ten the following:

There is nothing the Australian government can currently do [for Julian Assange] that it has not been doing.

In early May, Mr Assange's legal advisor Jennifer Robinson met with the Attorney-General asking for basic safeguards to prevent his extradition to the U.S. The entire list of requests was denied. The full list and the response letter are available via the WikiLeaks website.

[UPDATE: 06:15 BST] Bernard Keane has written an article in response to Australian Forign Minister Bob Carr's latest remarks on Julian Assange. Keane debunks Carr's assertations that it's easier to extradite from the UK than Sweden and that WikiLeaks' releases are not like the Pentagon Papers. Furthermore, he discusses the evidence of the U.S. grand jury into WikiLeaks:

As Assange laid out carefully in his interview with the ABC on Friday morning, there is copious evidence on the public record of a US investigation into Assange. The evidence has emerged during the trial of Bradley Manning, evidence has come from witnesses like David House who have been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury pursuing Assange, evidence has come from the efforts of Twitter and Twitter account holders to fight subpoenas relating to the investigation.

The investigation is not specifically targeted at Bradley Manning, who is the defendant in a separate military trial process. It is not targeted at Swedish sexual assault allegations. It is targeted at WikiLeaks’s, and Assange’s, journalism.

The question for Bob Carr is not whether he has asked the Americans about a sealed indictment (which is not publicly confirmed, but the subject of extensive and corroborated reports, including from WikiLeaks’s opponents) but whether he has demanded to know why an Australian journalist (and found to be a journalist by sources as varied as the UK Supreme Court, the Walkley Foundation in Australian and the Martha Gellhorn trust in the UK) is the target of a US investigation simply for that journalism.

The full article is available at Crikey.

Francis FitzGibbon QC wrote an in-depth article on what Julian Assange must prove to be accepted into asylum. The three main points are:

(i) he has a fear of being persecuted
(ii) his fear is well-founded
(iii) he will be persecuted by reason of one or more of:
- (a) his race (ie ethnicity);
- (b) his religion;
- (c) his nationality;
- (d) his membership of a particular social group;
- (e) his political opinion.

The Brisbane WikiLeaks Support Network reported on vigils for Julian Assange in both Brisbane and London. The report also includes a recent interview with activist Ciaron O'Reilly.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-24 02:05 BST] Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr stated he has spoken to a single unnamed U.S. official regarding Julian Assange:

I've said to a senior US official... Have you got plans to extradite him? They haven't said they have plans.

2012-06-25 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 7)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 14:05 BST] Christine Assange gave an interview with WSWS about her son's decision to seek asylum.

Some people have said he is trying to run away, but they [the authorities] have backed him into a corner where he has nowhere else to go.

Julian is the only person in these proceedings who has followed the law. Everybody else has been either breaching protocols or procedures. The Supreme Court was so focused on getting him over there [to Sweden] that it actually said he had been charged, when in fact, as everybody knows, there are only allegations. It also brought in new information into an appeal court, which is unheard of.

Dangerous precedents are being set all the time because of US pressure on other people’s governments, and that’s what happened with the Australian Extradition Act.

Julian’s asylum application is great. He has gone through all the court procedures but had his legal and human rights abused, and the Australian government has abandoned him. US politicians and commentators have called for him to be assassinated, and the government is trying to get him on any charge it can. According to the UN special rapporteur on torture, Bradley Manning has been tortured. The US is trying to get him to such a degraded state that he will falsely implicate Julian.

There are the emails from Stratfor, which reveal that there is an existing, sealed Grand Jury indictment on Julian, so he has every reason to fear for his life.

Read the full interview here.

Mr Assange's application has sparked discussion about how he could get from the Ecuadorian Embassy to the airport if he is granted asylum.

[UPDATE: 13:30 BST] A member of the Swedish Division for Criminal Cases and International Judicial Cooperation stated that Sweden is unable to offer guarantees that Julian Assange will not be extradited to the U.S.

Christine Assange gave an exclusive interview with Voice of Russia. She discusses the deliberate media smears against Julian, how he has offered to be questioned for two years about the Swedish allegations, his asylum application, and how he is doing at the Ecuadorian Embassy. Listen to the full interview here.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-25 01:12 BST] Oscar Swartz, author of "A Brief History of Swedish Sex", commented on Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum, saying he isn't worried about the allegations in Sweden, rather his potential onward extradition to the U.S. Watch his appearance on RT below:

A "Twibbon" has been created for people to add to their Twitter avatars in support of Julian Assange.

2012-06-26 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 8)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 20:23 BST] Democracy Now! reported on the latest in Julian Assange's bid for asylum, with Ecuador's Ambassador to Britain, Anna Alban, returning to Ecuador to discuss his application. Ms Alban said the following:

We have offered him the ease to survive — food and access to some people that come to visit him. We are diligently providing him with the basics. This is what we have undertaken while this matter is worked out and a decision is made according to the Ecuadorian government’s position.

Watch the video clip below:

[UPDATE: 16:45 BST] Glenn Greenwald wrote a very detailed blog post in response to Twitter arguments against Julian Assange and his decision to seek asylum.

Barrister Greg Barns responded to an article on ABC Religion and Ethics which said Sweden should be respected for its handling of the Assange case.

Vaughan Smith published an email he sent in response to the manner his CNN interview about Julian Assange and his decision for asylum was conducted.

Latin American political analyst Thiago de Aragao and international law expert Professor Donald Rothwell were on Late Night Live Radio discussing Julian Assange's decision to see asylum and "Why Ecuador needs him".

Brisbane activist Ciaron O'Reilly was interviewed on ABC Radio about Julian Assange and his asylum application.

[UPDATE: 02:33 BST] A video has been uploaded of Robert Naiman hand delivering a letter to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London requesting Julian Assange be granted asylum. He hands over two petitions: one signed by prominent American supporters such as Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, Danny Glover, Oliver Stone, Bill Maher, and Patch Adams, and a second signed by over 4,000 supporters. Read the letter here. The petition is still available to sign at the Just Foreign Policy website.

WL Central published an article entitled "Assange, Diplomacy, and Duplicity" which discusses the Washington Post's flip-flopping when discussing the U.S. threat against Julian Assange. Glenn Greenwald also commented on the same in the following tweet, mentioning The Guardian and the Wall Street Journal as well:

Only someone paranoid would think US is trying to prosecute/extradite Assange is.gd/cKY3x6 is.gd/lP8m3l is.gd/ZN78KT

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 25, 2012

[UPDATE: 01:55 BST] Washington Post wrote on other prominent cases of people seeking asylum, listing Chen Guangcheng (2012), Manuel Noriega (1989), Fang Lizhi (1989), Edward Lee Howard (1986), Cubans in Havana (1980), Svetlana Stalin (1966), and Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty (1956).

[UPDATE: 2012-06-26 01:35 BST] Ecuador lawyers are currently studying the political and legal ramifications of granting asylum to Julian Assange. An estimated date of the decision is yet to be made available.

Otto Reich, who served as a senior official in the Bush Jr., Bush Sr., and Reagan administrations, wrote an Op-Ed stating that the U.S. should not sign any new trade agreements with Ecuador were they to accept Julian Assange into political asylum. In the article he labels Mr Assange as an "accused sex-criminal" and vehemently attacks Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.

Robert Naiman, policy director at Just Foreign Policy, says that many Americans support Julian Assange, referencing a letter signed by supporters requesting that Ecuador take him into asylum. Listen to his interview in the video below:

Daily Beast/Newsweek named Julian Assange as #1 in its Power Index on Revolutionaries. The blurb about him reads:

The Australian who turned a precocious hacking habit into an activist crusade for freedom of information founded WikiLeaks in 2006. Julian Assange and his site rose to prominence with the release of classified documents revealing government corruption, civilian casualties in the Iraq and Afghan wars, and the full text of Sarah Palin’s emails. The organization’s most recent coup: publishing internal emails from global intelligence firm Stratfor. For his part, Assange remains holed up in Ecuador to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he’s accused of sexual misconduct. He launched a talk show in April.

An article in OpEdNews by former FBI Special Agent Coleen Rowley reminds readers that Julian Assange was awarded the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in 2010. Sam Adams associates delivered a letter to the Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington requesting that Julian Assange be granted asylum.

2012-06-27 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 9)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 17:42 BST] The Ecuadorian Embassy in London has been flooded with messages of support for Julian Assange. Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs stated:

More than 10,000 emails have been received at the moment.

Thousands of people asking the Ecuadorian government to accord asylum to Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, sent a steady stream of messages saying why they support him.

This comes a just after a petition with signatures from many high-profile people, along with over 4,000 other supporters, was hand delivered to the Embassy.

An article in WSWS details the latest evidence of a U.S. operation against Julian Assange, including information that has come out of Bradley Manning's pre-trial hearings.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-27 03:30 BST] U.S. history professor Lawrence Davidson wrote an essay entitled "Hero on the run: Julian Assange and his US detractors" in which he explains why Julian Assange should be treated as a hero, not hunted as a criminal.

Julian Assange is now a hero on the run. And, he is probably going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Even if he makes it to Ecuador he will need bodyguards to protect him from kidnapping or worse. As one Pentagon spokesman put it, “If doing the right thing is not good enough for [Assange] then we will figure out what other alternatives we have to compel [him] to do the right thing.” And what do America’s leaders regard as the “right thing” in this case? Obviously, keeping silent about Washington’s doing the wrong thing.

Read the full essay here.

Jacob Appelbaum was interviewed by Voice of Russia about Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum. He explains how he believes Mr Assange chose to seek asylum after losing faith in the justice system. He also discusses how people internationally can support him:

I think a couple of things. One thing is to understand that it is not that Julian has no interest in resolving these issues in Sweden. I talked to him quite extensively about it. The problem is that Sweden will not make even the most basic guaranties. For example they could interview him right now in the embassy and clear things up, they refused to do that. So, pressuring the Swedish Government to remotely interview him, as they have done in many other cases, that is an extremely useful thing to do.

Furthermore, pressuring the Australian Government to actually protect their own citizens, I mean how sad it is that an Australian citizen had to go to another country to ask for help. And finally writing a letter of support to the Ecuadorian Government suggesting that you would go there as a tourist, that you would be ever so grateful, that giving Assange this asylum would really be a positive thing in the world – that is the thing which everyone can do, it is as simple as going to the embassy’s website and filling in the form. I wrote one of these letters myself.

Read or listen to the full interview here.

A public forum on "WikiLeaks, Assange, and Democracy" is being held at the Coombs Theatre, A.N.U, Canberra tonight (June 27) at 7PM. Speakers include:

Christine Assange - Mother of Julian Assange
Senator Scott Ludlam - Greens WA
Bernard Keane - Crikey journalist
Humphrey McQueen - Historian
David Hicks - Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee
Aloysia Brooks - Human rights & social justice advocate
Chaired by Mary Kostakidis - Former SBS World News Presenter

The entire event will be also be live-streamed.

2012-06-28 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 10)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 20:40 BST] BBC has posted an audio excerpt from Julian Assange's upcoming interview. Below is the transcript:

Interviewer: Mr Assange, you have been summoned to appear at Belgravia Police Station tomorrow morning. Are you going to go?

Julian Assange: Our advice is that asylum law, both internationally and domestically within the UK, takes precedence to extradition law. So the answer is almost certainly not.

Interviewer: Almost certainly? You're still hesitating?

Julian Assange: Well, the issues are being looked at; we only received the letter this morning.

Interviewer: What are you afraid of if you do go to Sweden?

Julian Assange: Well, the concern is predominately in relation to the United States and it's not a concern that affects me alone. It concerns a number of people who have worked for our organisation and been volunteers for it. In the United States, since at least the beginning of 2011, according to The Washington Post, a U.S. Grand Jury has been empaneled in Washington, and it has been pulling in witnesses, forced testimony from those witnesses, and subpoenaed records from Google, from Twitter, from our ISP, that has been working with the FBI. Now, according to public record, the file for the prosecution has reached 42,135 pages as a result of Bradley Manning's hearings. Bradley Manning, an alleged associate of mine, who is in prison, they say, for interacting with me, has been found to have been placed under torturous conditions, by the UN Special Rapporteur. His lawyer says that the reason he has been placed in those conditions - the reason he has been subject to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment - is so that they can force him to testify against me.

Interviewer: What evidence do you have for that?

Julian Assange: That is a matter of public record. It is public record from the hearings that have occurred in the past few months in the United States in Washington.

For UK residents, the full interview can be heard tonight on BBC2, 22:30 BST.

[UPDATE: 18:50 BST] A new BBC Newsnight interview with Julian Assange will air tonight at 22:30 BST on BBC2.

In response to the police requesting he come to the station tomorrow, Mr Assange said:

Our advice is that asylum law both internationally and domestically takes precedence over extradition law so almost certainly not.

[UPDATE: 18:10 BST] Journalists, intellectuals, artists and academics from Mexico have signed a letter in support of Julian Assange and his decision to seek asylum. The letter demands that Mr Assange stop being portrayed as a dangerous enemy and also calls for the U.S. Government to drop the charges against Bradley Manning. Signatories include Carlos Payan Velver, founding director of La Jornada, writer Elena Poniatowska, poet Hugo Gutiérrez Vega, historian Lorenzo Meyer, and artists Gabriel Orozco and Vicente Rojo.

The UK High Court has halted the extradition of a previously convicted child sex offender on allegations of raping and sexually assaulting three underage girls. Meanwhile, Julian Assange, who is yet to be charged with any crime and could be questioned via telephone or other lawful and normal procedures, is facing arrest and extradition to Sweden were he to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy.

[UPDATE: 13:55 BST] WikiLeaks tweeted the following in response to this morning's reports of UK police delivering a letter requesting Julian Assange present himself at the police station:

UK gov media war against Assange starts this morning with "sources" giving note sent to Ecuador embassy to Press Association within mins.

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 28, 2012

UK media note. Asylum law suspends extradition law while asylum is being assessed, even in UK domestic legislation.

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 28, 2012

[UPDATE: 13:30 BST] RT London correspondent Sarah Firth tweeted the following statement from the Metropolitan Police:

The MPS have this morning, Thursday 28 June, served a surrender notice upon a 40-year-old man that requires him to attend a police station at date and time of our choosing. This is standard practice in extradition cases and is the first step in the removal process. He remains in breach of his bail conditions, failing to surrender would be a further breach of conditions and he is liable to arrest.

Ms Firth is seeking further clarification on the statement.

Firedoglake's Kevin Gosztola wrote an analysis of the reactions to Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum. He comments on the thousands of emails the Ecuadorian Embassy received in support of Mr Assange, along with a letter with high-profile signatories which was hand-delivered to the Embassy. In contrast, we see media commentators and pundits in the UK and U.S. who attack Mr Assange for his decision.

[UPDATE: 12:50 BST] Newspapers are reporting that the Metropolitan Police have delivered a letter to Julian Assange stating that he must present himself at the police station at 11:30 tomorrow morning. It is likely that this is a standard procedure, as tomorrow is the first day of the 10-day window in which he was supposed to be extradited to Sweden. As long as he remains in the Ecuadorian Embassy, he should be under protection from arrest.

El Telegrapho reported on the latest statements from Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, during a conference in Guayaquil. He commented that the decision is "not simple" and time must be taken to do proper analysis of Julian Assange's request.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-28 01:05 BST] A rally for Julian Assange will be held at the Swedish Embassy in London, June 28 at 3PM. (The website states on hold, but an email has been sent out stating that the rally will be held, as media and important organisations are scheduled to be there.)

Media Lens published an in-depth analysis of the media coverage of Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum.

The media response to Assange’s asylum request tells us much about the default brutality and reflexive herdthink of elite corporate journalism. We witnessed a rush to be seen to revile Assange as a ‘turd’, ‘weirdo’, ‘narcissist’ and joke. The crucial importance of his achievements, of his cause, was deemed utterly irrelevant beside his allegedly unbearable personal failings.

Almost as disturbing as the tsunami of mindless vitriol is the lack of dissent. US analyst Glenn Greenwald has so far been the sole high-profile political commentator willing to take on the UK’s hard-right ‘liberals’. By contrast, the Guardian and Independent’s dissident figleaves, and the many aspirational leftists who long to join them, have kept their heads down, saying nothing in support of a man who has risked his freedom and life to expose vast crimes of state.

It is yet more evidence, if any were needed, that political ‘convergence’ – the empty ‘choice’ between Old Tories and New Tories – has brought with it a dramatic and dangerous narrowing of 'mainstream' thought and dissent. We seem to be at the dawn of a brave new world: a high-tech Dark Age dominated by a kind of corporate feudalism.

Read their full anaylsis here.

Video of yesterday's forum on "WikiLeaks, Assange, and Democracy" is available online. The speakers were Christine Assange, Senator Scott Ludlam, Bernard Keane, Humphrey McQueen, David Hicks, Aloysia Brooks, and Mary Kostakidis.

WL Central has transcribed a conversation on Late Night Live Radio about Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum between Phillip Adams, with South American journalist Thiago de Aragao and international law professor Donald Rothwell.

2012-06-29 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 11)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 22:58 BST] RT America reported on the latest in Julian Assange's bid for asylum. Whistleblower Thomas Drake is interviewed about the matter. Watch the video below:

[UPDATE: 22:50 BST] B. J. Sachs, an Ecuador resident of 17 years, wrote on why people should support Julian Assange.

Yes, Julian Assange’s actions could have been easily predicted to arouse the extreme wrath of war makers the world over and their media mouthpieces. Duh, as they say. But the thing is this: Assange’s journalistic mission to expose secrets lies and war crimes won out over any fears he might have had for his personal safety. That is precisely what makes his actions heroic in my book, as well as those of the whistle blowers whose consciences propelled them to blow the whistle, that is to give us, the people, important information and therefore the tools to act. They are all heroic and worthy of our strong support in my book, and they are definitely less-than-loved-and-appreciated by the warmongers and war profiteers in government and industry. Thus there may already be a sealed indictment against Julian Assange, and very possibly for the capital crime of espionage punishable by death. It is certain that a grand jury has been impaneled and many subpoenas have been issued. Grand Jury proceedings are always secret, as are indictments until the prosecutor wishes to reveal or unseal them. If Assange is charged and tried for his heroism, we are all screwed. Totally.

Read the full article via CounterPunch.

[UPDATE: 20:32 BST] The US is looking to extradite a man in Sweden, who went AWOL from the Air Force nearly 30 years ago. He is not alleged to have committed any other crime besides going AWOL from the military in 1984.

[UPDATE: 19:20 BST] Here is the full video of Susan Benn's statement regarding Julian Assange's asylum bid made today. The transcript is in the update below.

[UPDATE: 16:58 BST] Here is the full statement made by Susan Benn today at 16:00 in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London:

Thank you for coming – My name is Susan Benn from the Julian Assange Defense Fund.

I have spoken to Julian today and he is in good spirits. He is grateful for the support shown to him by the people of Ecuador and so many others from around the world.

Yesterday Mr. Assange was served with a letter from the Metropolitan police service requesting that he surrender himself to the Belgravia police station at 11.30 this morning.

Mr Assange has been advised that he should decline to comply with the police request. This should not be considered any sign of disrespect. Under both international and domestic UK law asylum assessments take priority over extradition claims.

The issues faced by Mr. Assange are serious. His life and liberty and the life and liberty of his organization and those associated with it are at stake.

The United States Government has instigated a grand jury investigation against Julian Assange and other “founders or managers” of Wikileaks. Australian diplomats have described this investigation as being of “unprecedented scale and nature”. There is irrefutable evidence in the public record of subpoenas being issued and witnesses being compelled to testify against Mr. Assange. WikiLeaks, the ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights and other groups have been fighting these subpeonas and other issues arising from the investigation in multiple US courts. US officials have said in open court that the FBI file about the investigation has now reached 42,135 pages. The US department of justice admitted yesterday that its investigation into WikiLeaks proceeds. It is only a matter of time before US authorities begin extradition proceedings against Julian and other leading members of WikiLeaks on various charges including conspiracy to commit espionage. There are credible reports that a sealed indictment has already been made against Mr. Assange. Under US law a sealed indictment can only be made public once Mr. Assange is in custody. For a US official to otherwise acknowledge the existence of a sealed indictment is a criminal offense. The Independent newspaper’s diplomatic correspondent reported that informal talks between the US and Sweden have been conducted.

It should be made clear what would happen if Julian was extradited to the USA. The United Nations special rapporteur for torture, Juan Mendez has formally found that the United States has subjected Julian Assange’s alleged source in this matter, the young soldier Bradley Manning, to conditions amounting to torture. The UN found that the United States subjected Bradley Manning to “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”. Mr. Manning has been charged by the US government with the capital offense of “aiding the enemy” in relation to his alleged interaction with Mr. Assange. Bradley Manning has been detained without trial for two years and was placed into solitary confinement for 9 months in his cell for 23 hours a day, stripped naked and woken every 5 minutes. His lawyer and support team say these harsh measures were to coerce him into implicating Julian Assange.

So it is clear that there is a legal process in place which will result in taking Julian to the US, which if allowed to succeed would violate his basic rights.

It is accepted by the UK Supreme Court that Julian Assange has not been charged with any criminal offence in Sweden. It is also accepted that he was by told by Swedish authorities that he was free to leave Sweden. And it is also accepted that he has continuously offered to be interviewed by the Swedish authorities here in the UK, should they wish to do so. Although it is normal procedure, Swedish authorities have refused, without reason, to make the 3 hour trip to London and to interview Julian causing him to be trapped in the UK under virtual house arrest for 561 days and an additional 10 days in solitary confinement – all without charge. Instead they have issued an INTERPOL Red notice and extradition requests.

Julian and his legal team have previously sought assurances from both the UK government and the Swedish government that they will guarantee safe passage after the completion of legal interviews with Mr Assange and both have previously refused, although we are hopeful they will look at the matter again. The Swedish executive publicly announced on June 14 that it would detain Mr. Assange in prison without charge.

Once in Sweden under such grave restrictions it would be impossible for Mr. Assange to exercise his asylum rights.

Mr. Assange did not feel safe from US extradition in the UK. We are all too aware of the abuses of the US-UK extradition treaty. Although Mr. Assange has been trapped in the UK, under dangerous circumstances, he at least has had the freedom to apply for political asylum.

It is in this context that Julian has made the difficult decision to seek refuge inside the Ecuadorian Embassy to ask for asylum.

Julian will remain in the Embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while evidence for his application is being assembled and processed.

For further accurate information about these issues, please see www.justice4assange.com

Thank you.

[UPDATE: 16:25 BST] Susan Benn of the Julian Assange Defence Fund make a statement regarding Mr Assange's current position. He is in good spirits and grateful for all the support. He has been advised not to go to the Metropolitan Police Station. The life and liberty of him and those associated with WikiLeaks are at stake, and it is only a matter of time before U.S. authorities begin extradition procedures. Mr Assange‬ will remain in the Embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian Government while evidence for his application is processed.

We will have the full statement up when it is available.

[UPDATE: 15:43 BST] Christine Assange gave an exclusive interview with Urban Times regarding her son's bid for asylum. She discusses why he chose Ecuador, how he is doing, the Swedish allegations, the lack of support from the Australian Government, and more.

[UPDATE: 15:15 BST] WikiLeaks tweeted the following:

LONDON Fri 4pm: Assange statement to be given on steps of Ecuadorian embassy at 4pm. Near Harrods, 3 Hans Cres SW1X0LS

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 29, 2012

A lot of speculation is floating around about whether Mr Assange will give the statement himself, but at the moment the tweet is the only solid information available.

[UPDATE: 2012-06-29 02:33 BST] The Ecuadorian Embassy in London has issued a new statement regarding Julian Assange's asylum application:

We can confirm that this morning officers from the Metropolitan Police Service in London delivered a letter to Mr Assange via the Ecuadorian Embassy.

Separately, the South America Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has written to the Ecuadorian Embassy today, reaffirming their commitment to “promoting excellent bilateral relations between the Republic of Ecuador and the United Kingdom Government”

The Government of Ecuador will continue to foster good relations with the UK Government whilst assessing Mr Assanges application for asylum.

RT reported on the latest developments in Mr Assange's bid for asylum. They interviewed Sibel Edmonds, founder of the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition. Watch the video below or read a summary here:

WikiLeaks tweeted the following:

Today the US Department of Justice admitted to Australian ABC journalist Andrew Fowler that it has an active investigation against WikiLeaks

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) June 28, 2012

Swedish police and prosecutors questioned a man in Serbia over an alleged murder, yet they still refuse all offers to question Julian Assange. He still remains willing to answer questions, even from within the Ecuadorian Embassy.

SomersetBean has created more posters in support of Julian Assange and his choice to seek asylum. He has made them about our article: "Dissecting the Smears: Assange's asylum bid", the sealed indictment against Assange, and a rally in Sydney on July 15. All posters are available at his blog.

2012-06-30 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador (Archive - Day 12)

This is part of our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. The most recent news is available here. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 22:33 BST] AFP published the latest statements from Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa regarding Julian Assange's asylum bid:

We are analyzing the case with full responsibility and, as we have said a thousand times, we have no deadline to make a decision.

That decision will be absolutely sovereign and ... (show) respect for human rights.

[UPDATE: 21:45 BST] U.S. Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd stated today:

There continues to be an investigation into the WikiLeaks matter.

[UPDATE: 17:10 BST] Julian Assange's U.S. lawyer Michael Ratner was interviewed by AFP about Mr Assange's decision to seek asylum:

He had two very difficult choices. I think he would go to Sweden immediately if he got assurances from the United States that there was not going to be a prosecution.

He made a very difficult choice for himself.

Regarding U.S. officials being silent regarding Mr Assange, he said:

I think they're quiet now because there's a grand jury or an indictment and they don't want to prejudice any ultimate trial. That would be my best guess.

Mr Ratner also said the following about whether he thinks Ecuador will accept Mr Assange's application:

I'm very hopeful about it, I'll put it that way. They have the ability and the president and the country have the guts to stand up to the United States.

Of all the countries that would be one of the most favorable (to Assange's request), it would be Ecuador.

[UPDATE: 16:37 BST] Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern was on RT discussing what Julian Assange could face, were he extradited to the U.S. Watch the interview below:

[UPDATE: 2012-06-30 02:37 BST] BBC Newsnight's interview with Julian Assange yesterday is now available on YouTube. Listen below:

2012-07-10 Live Blog: Assange requests political asylum from Ecuador

This is our live-coverage on Julian Assange's request for political asylum. See the archives for coverage of previous days.

Follow @wl_central on Twitter for all the latest updates.

WikiLeaks announced via Twitter on the evening of June 19 (19:40 local time) that Julian Assange has requested political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mr Assange will remain at the embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while they process his request.

In his statement to the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador, Julian Assange commented on his abandonment by his home country, Australia, as well as the threat of the death penalty in the U.S.

Updates will be added as they become available.

............................................

[UPDATE: 17:53 BST] Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa stated that his government's decision on whether to grant Julian Assange asylum will not be affected by pressure from the U.S., Britain, or Sweden.

We will consult with everyone we need to, but we will make a sovereign decision on whether or not to grant asylum to the Australian, Julian Assange.

If Assange's life is at risk, that is sufficient cause to approve his asylum. [...] the death penalty exists in the United States for political crimes.

Furthermore, he said the Ecuadorian government would "examine what the allegations are in Sweden, how the judicial process is carried out, and if it is compatible with the humanist vision of justice that we have in Ecuador".

[UPDATE: 2012-07-10 04:28 BST] Democracy Now! reported on the latest in Julian Assange's asylum bid.

Speaking to Democracy Now! over the weekend, Assange says he remains in good spirits and revealed that seven WikiLeaks staffers and volunteers are under grand jury investigation in the United States.

NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake was interviewed by RT and asked how angry the U.S. is at Julian Assange.

They are extremely angry. According to press reports, there has been a secret Grand Jury and maybe a secret indictment. They want to get him and put him away. There are those at high levels in this country – they have called for a death warrant.

Believe me, if the US get its hands on him – they’re going to do everything they can to put him away for as long as they can – or worse.

Speaking truth to power is very dangerous. The power elites, those in charge don’t like dirty linen being aired. They don’t like skeletons in the closet being seen. Not only do they object to it, they decide to turn it into criminal activity. Remember, my whistle blowing was criminalized by my own government.

[UPDATE: 2012-07-09 22:18 BST] Ecuador's ambassador to the U.S. Nathalie Cely expressed her concern about backlash if they accept Julian Assange into asylum, stating:

Giving asylum to Assange would be used as ammunition to attack the country.

She further said that the recriminations "already have begun", but that Ecuador is "ready as ever to defend our position and our decisions".

[UPDATE: 20:28 BST] Supporters in London continue to hold daily vigils outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in support of Julian Assange. The number of supporters usually increases in the afternoon, with the peak around 17:00.

Further contact information regarding the vigil is available from WISE UP for Bradley Manning.

[UPDATE: 17:10 BST] Julian Assange would have been in Sweden by this date, had he not chosen to seek political asylum from Ecuador. He continues to remain in the Embassy as the Ecuadorian Government considers his request. RT reported on the latest in Mr Assange's extradition bid:

[UPDATE: 2012-07-07 00:50 BST] The Foro de São Paulo, a political conference of organisations from Latin America and the Caribbean, called on the Government of Ecuador to grant Julian Assange political asylum to "save his life and liberty".

The U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador Adam Namm commented on Mr Assange's asylum bid, saying the White House had "aspired to justice" regarding WikiLeaks, but is not involved in the asylum discussions.

The Australian Greens have called on Foreign Minister Bob Carr to "show the same vigour" in defending Julian Assange as they showed in securing the release of lawyer Melinda Taylor.

Glenn Greenwald was on Democracy Now! discussing Mr Assange's bid for political asylum, as well as the release of the Syria Files. Watch the interview below:

[UPDATE: 17:42 BST] WikiLeaks held a press conference earlier today to announce the release of The Syria Files, over 2 million emails from 680 Syria-related entities or domain names.

Glenn Greenwald was on Democracy Now! discussing the latest developments in Julian Assange's asylum bid, as well as the release of the Syria Files. Watch the interview below:

[UPDATE: 05:06 BST] WikiLeaks will be holding a "major release" press conference at the Frontline Club today at 11AM (London time). The event will be live-streamed.

Further information about the conference is unavailable, but an hour earlier (11AM Sweden time/10AM London time) WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson and lawyer Jennifer Robinson will be holding a press conference at Almedalen in Sweden.

[UPDATE: 01:15 BST] Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño commented on one of the allegations against Julian Assange: that he supposedly broke a condom on purpose. He described the allegation as "hilarious" and said "it's a bit naive" to believe these allegations are the main reason for Sweden to request the extradition of Mr Assange.

[UPDATE: 00:55 BST] Ecuadorian diplomat Abel Molina was interviewed about Julian Assange's decision to seek asylum, in which he stated that Sweden's attempt to extradite Mr Assange from the UK is just a facade for political intentions of the U.S. Government.

[UPDATE: 2012-07-05 00:45 BST] On July 4, around 60 people gathered at the Foreign Ministry in Quito, Ecuador to express their support for Julian Assange.

An article in El Telégrafo discussed the possible outcome whether Ecuador chooses to grant or deny political asylum for Mr Assange. If granted, the UK would need to agree on a safe passage for Mr Assange to Ecuador. If denied, Mr Assange would be arrested and extradited to Sweden.

[UPDATE: 19:40 BST] Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino commented today on Julian Assange's application for political asylum (translated from Spanish).

We believe the issue has so much international impact [...] that we will take the time to sufficiently document the justification of the decision we make. [There] will be tens and perhaps hundreds of pages to explain our decision on the asylum request of Mr Assange.

He also commented that they are still gathering information about the Swedish allegations against Mr Assange. He mentioned that they have not even started judicial proceedings, and that Ecuador would not accept the extradition of people for questioning.

[UPDATE: 2012-07-04 16:05 BST] EFF's Trevor Timm appeared on The Alyona Show to discuss the ongoing investigation into WikiLeaks and renewed call to prosecute Julian Assange. He talks about how the WikiLeaks Grand Jury threatens the press freedoms of journalists everywhere. Watch the video below:

Icelandic MP and former WikiLeaks volunteer Birgitta Jónsdóttir has been warned not to visit the U.S. The Department of Justice previously attempted to hack her Twitter account due to her work with WikiLeaks. She comments:

The WTF (the CIA's WikiLeaks Task Force) has been building a case against Assange and others from WikiLeaks for two years. There is no doubt there is a grand jury in action. There is no doubt that the US wants to get even with WikiLeaks. Assange has every reason to worry about being extradited to the US, be it from Britain or Sweden, or any country that cannot or will not give him a guarantee against extradition. The best possible solution to the current situation is for Sweden to provide such guarantees. If there were the will, it could be done.

Read her full article via The Guardian.

Crikey's Bernard Keane wrote on the increasing U.S. Government harassment of WikiLeaks and Assange associates. He details the harassment of Jacob Appelbaum, Icelandic MP Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Jêrêmie Zimmermann, Smari McCarthy, WikiLeaks lawyer Jennifer Robinson, and filmmaker Laura Poitras.

U.S. Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich says Julian Assange is not being targeted by the U.S. According to him, Mr Assange could be extradited to the U.S. "as easily from the UK or from Sweden". These statements come despite an ongoing investigation into WikiLeaks and renewed calls for the prosecution of Mr Assange. Mr Assange stated in his interview from the Ecuadorian Embassy two weeks ago that WikiLeaks has "received subpoenas, the subpoenas mention my name". During testimony in Bradley Manning's court proceedings, Special Agent Mark Mander stated that seven civilians, including "founders, owners, or managers of WikiLeaks", are being targeting by the WikiLeaks Grand Jury.

Author William Blum wrote on "The Persecution of Julian Assange". He discusses how Ecuador and its president, Rafael Correa, will likely be targeted by the U.S. if they decide to provide Mr Assange asylum.

You think with the whole world watching, the United States would not intervene in Ecuador?

Read the full article via Counter Currents.

John Pilger was interviewed by Ecuadorian TV about Julian Assange and his decision to seek asylum. The interview is available to watch on YouTube (Spanish only).

[UPDATE: 2012-07-03 01:00 BST] RT America covered the evidence of the U.S. pursuit of Julian Assange. EFF's Trevor Timm is interviewed about the matter. Watch the video below:

Despite the renewed calls for U.S. prosecution of Julian Assange, and the Justice Department admitting a continued investigation into WikiLeaks, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr holds his belief that Mr Assange is of little interest to the U.S.

Glenn Greenwald wrote on the renewed calls to prosecute Mr Assange, commenting on how "there is no sense in which Feinstein’s denunciation applies to WikiLeaks but not to The New York Times".

Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer Per E Samuelson wrote an op-ed in The Guardian about how his client would not receive fair trial in Sweden.

This treatment is degrading. No one should be treated as guilty until proven innocent. There has been no trial, let alone conviction. Assange has not even been charged with any crime. And the situation makes it difficult for him to prepare his defence. If a defendant is placed in isolation they are allowed contact only with their defence lawyer. The prosecutor and complainants, however, can confer at length with witnesses and work out their strategies. Is there any acceptable reason why one of the parties be deprived of that opportunity?

Read the full article here.

[UPDATE: 23:30 BST] Mary Kostakidis, former anchor for SBS World News, gave an interview with Voice of Russia regarding Julian Assange's asylum bid. She discusses a letter she wrote to the Ecuadorian Government urging them to accept his application. She also discusses the support from the Ecuadorians, how Mr Assange is doing, and the Australian Government's failure to assist him.

[UPDATE: 2012-07-01 15:20 BST] Alongside the U.S. Justice Department confirming continued investigation into WikiLeaks, the Chariman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Dianne Feinstein, said the following in a written statement:

I believe Mr Assange has knowingly obtained and disseminated classified information which could cause injury to the United States. He has caused serious harm to US national security, and he should be prosecuted accordingly.