Julian Assange, the founder of whistleblower WikiLeaks who is
holed-up safely in the Ecuador Embassy, London since two months has been granted
political asylum by the Latin American country after much deliberations at the
govt level at last. From the very moment the news of Ecuador granting him
asylum, the issue has left Britain fretting and fuming at the reported decision
taken by a third world country against the wishes of British govt which is an
ally of US since a long period.
Assange reached London two years ago seeking asylum there.
Accordingly soon after landing on the soil of Britain, an extradition
hearing took place on 7–8 and 11 February 2011 before the City
of Westminster Magistrates' Court but all courts of the land
upon appeals filed by him rejected his request which landed him in soup. With
the exhaustion of all legal steps his apprehension of Britain extraditing him
to Sweden where suits are pending against him by two Swedish ladies charging
him with rape. Assange denies their contention and made it clear that it was
not rape but consensual sex he had with those ladies. Sweden wants him to stand
trial in a Swedish court and for that country badly needs his presence there and
was from the very outset pleading with London to pack him to Sweden.
What he fears most is not standing a trial in Sweden but he
is almost certain that Sweden will deport him to US from where the secret,
sensitive and confidential matters relating to America’s dealing with other
nations across the world which US was keeping exclusively for themselves were
leaked by the WikiLeaks. Millions and millions of secret, sensitive, classified
diplomatic cables under 18 U.S.C. 371 and under 18 U.S.C. 641 got leaked by a Pentagon official,
Bradley Manning to WikiLeaks which got all of them published in well-known
newspapers the world over. Many a skeleton which US was keeping exclusively for
itself tumbled out of its cupboards stunned the world, that much sensitive were
all of them. US felt slighted by these leaks and and after a deep investigation
identified the US official in Pentagon and arrested him under the espionage act
which could attract even death penalty, subjected him to tortures of the worst
kind and put him naked in an isolated cell even denying him an opportunity to
approach the court. Since then US authorities were angry and continues pursuing
Assange, the head of WikiLeaks and wanted him to be under its possession for
detailed grilling and imprisonment. In case US gets him under its custody he is
certainly to undergo rigorous trials and which could lead to capital
punishment.
Apprehending such an eventuality he was on the run to escape
the inevitable and that run finally landed him in Britain. He might have
expected fair justice there, but after exhausting all legal avenues he found himself
in the dock.
That must have forced him to approach Ecuador Embassy
seeking asylum in Ecuador with which he keeps a warm relationship.
British authorities took a rigid stand and it was bent upon
getting him arrested and extradite him to Sweden. The news of Ecuador granting asylum
to him in that country was a slap in the face of Britain by a third world
country that too a Latin American country and defying all warnings from the
part of a world power like Britain, Ecuador granting him asylum was something
intolerable to the British authorities. Such a strong nation like Britain being
slighted by a small Latin American nation – that stark truth Britain couldn’t
digest. Now Britain is reportedly toying with the idea of storming the Embassy
and forcibly arrest Assange disregarding all international obligations.
In the meantime, reports to the effect that Assange after
spending in the Embassy for a considerable period is now getting bored to death
and that he is thinking in terms of voluntarily coming out of the Embassy and speak
to his supporters outside the Embassy and give into the British police, come
what may.
Still Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino is confident
of solving the problem amicably after talking with the concerned British
authorities including William Hague, British Foreign Secretary and whether his
confidence is likely to prove fruitful is anybody’s guess.
It is heartening that while Assange’s native country,
Australia is reluctant to grand him shelter, a Latin American country Ecuador
has courageously come out into the open granting him asylum.
How, the entire issue is supposed to end remains a billion
dollar question.
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