Ecuador grants asylum to WikiLeaks founder Assange
Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, is interviewed in London on October 8, 2011.
August 16th, 2012
08:44 AM ET

Ecuador grants asylum to WikiLeaks founder Assange

Ecuador has granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño said Thursday.

The UK, meanwhile, has said it will not grant safe passage out of the country to Assange, who has been holed up inside Ecuador's embassy in London.

Assange has been holed up at the embassy since petitioning for asylum in June. He is seeking to avoid being sent to Sweden over claims of rape and sexual molestation, and said he fears that if extradited, Swedish authorities could hand him over to the United States.

Assange was arrested in Britain in 2010 because Swedish authorities wanted to question him about the allegations. Two women have accused Assange of sexually assaulting them during an August 2010 visit to Sweden in connection with a WikiLeaks release of internal U.S. military documents. Assange denies the allegations and argues they are retribution for his organization's disclosure of American secrets.

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Filed under: Ecuador • Julian Assange • United Kingdom • WikiLeaks • World
soundoff (7 Responses)
  1. Mike Gallett

    Great! But I fear there is not much to celebrate... The mad dogs will get him anyway.. 🙁

    August 16, 2012 at 8:48 am | Report abuse |
  2. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    Now Sweeden is going to need a towing strap. 😉

    August 16, 2012 at 10:59 am | Report abuse |
  3. banasy©

    Gee.
    Didn't see this coming at *all*.
    Well, actually I did.

    August 16, 2012 at 12:39 pm | Report abuse |
  4. bobcat (in a hat)©

    The Sheriff in a small town walks out in the street and sees a blonde cowboy coming down the walk with nothing on but his cowboy hat, gun, and his boots, so he arrests him for indecent exposure. As he is locking him up, he asks: "Why in the world are you dressed like this?"

    The Cowboy says, "Well it's like this Sheriff.... I was in the bar down the road and this pretty little red head asks me to go out to her motorhome with her. So I did. We go inside and she pulls off her top and asks me to pull off my shirt ... so I did. Then she pulls off her skirt and asks me to pull off my pants ... so I did. Then she pulls off her panties and asks me to pull off my shorts ... so I did. Then she gets on the bed and looks at me kind of se xy and says, 'Now go to downtown cowboy ..'. And here I am."

    August 16, 2012 at 4:48 pm | Report abuse |
  5. saywhat

    But the U.K govt is still considering arresting Assange.Perhaps Her Majesty's Rule extends over to Equador. Though legally they can perhaps strip the Equador Embassy of diplomatic status and then raid it / that countrybut that would almost amount to an act of aggression, wouldn't it.
    I think the best solution would be for UK to ask us to bomb Equador and we shall oblige by not only bombing but occupying. Now let me see / Is Equador rich in natural resources?
    That is a cowboy for you@ bobcat, thanks.

    August 16, 2012 at 7:26 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Rascal Rabble

    put him out with the garbage...won't be able to tell the difference...

    August 16, 2012 at 7:38 pm | Report abuse |
  7. hyipnew365.com

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    August 21, 2012 at 10:40 pm | Report abuse |