Julian Assange expected to make statement

[NRaleighLiberal]

Source: BBC

"Julian Assange is expected to make a public statement later on the diplomatic row that has engulfed him since being granted asylum by Ecuador."

snip

"But Mr Assange has been warned by the British authorities that he will be arrested when he leaves the embassy. Although Wikileaks' Twitter feed revealed his plan to make a statement at the front of the embassy, it is not clear precisely how this will happen.

The Sunday Times quotes sources close to Mr Assange who say he would be prepared to leave the embassy if guarantees are given by Sweden that he will not be extradited to the US.

His supporters claim he could face persecution and even the death penalty."

snip

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19310335

[99th_Monkey]

1. I really wish Julian all the best of luck and whatever else it takes

for him to remain safe, and I hope that he's got his ass well
covered with informed stashes of stuff "To be released upon
my untimely and/or suspicious death".

Stay safe Julian!!

[eyewall]

5. The insurance files

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people have downloaded the "insurance files". Information so devastating to the US Govt that the mere threat of it being made public should be enough to keep Assange alive. It was a brilliant move on his part. He has an unbreakable encryption key which only a small number of trusted friends has access to. If Julian gets killed, the key goes public and all those copies become readable.

I'm personally hoping that the insurance files get released and become a turning point in global politics - without the need for something dire in Assange's life to trigger it.

[randome]

7. If these files are so valuable, why is Assange using them to protect himself?

I thought the whole idea of Wikileaks was to publish the truth no matter what.

I doubt there is anything earth-shattering in those documents.

[tama]

8. Agreed nt

[99th_Monkey]

10. If you were putting yourself in the crosshairs

like Assange is, you would need some form of protection,
or you'd have a "little accident" as they say.

What would be the point of dumping EVERYthing, all at
once, then being a sitting duck to be "suicided"?

[Swagman]

2. United Nations Convention

Relating to the Status of Refugees (Asylum seeker)of 1951(in Article 1.A.2) a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."

Asylum (refugee) seekers 2011:
United States 278,850
France 206,890
Germany 155,970
Canada 147,000
Sweden 146,380
United Kingdom 138,350

[XemaSab]

3. It's not going to be death row for him here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Penitentiary,_Florence_ADX

[Taverner]

4. FREE ASSANGE!!

[dipsydoodle]

6. Current video footage from this morning here.

BBC News : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19310784

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. It's pretty clear he's going to speak from a low balcony

where they've been setting up a public address system, and which is still part of the embassy. Latest guess is that he'll speak in about 10 minutes from now.