‘Ecuador: Court Rejects WikiLeaks’ Assange Lawsuit Against Gov’t’

Via Telesur English, Oct. 29, 2018 (oddly, the link goes to Page Not Found today)

“Assange said the new rules were a sign Ecuador was trying to push him out and said Ecuadorean President had already decided to end his asylum but had not yet officially given the order.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s lawsuit was rejected Monday by an Ecuadorean court after the whistleblower sued the government over violation of his fundamental rights as amid his stay in the country’s London embassy as an asylee.

Assange, speaking from the Ecuadorean embassy in London via teleconference, pointed out that, Ecuador is seeking to end his asylum in its London embassy and hand him over to the United States, citing a new set of rules governing his residence at the Andean nation’s diplomatic mission as evidence.

The lawsuit challenges the new rules, which require him to pay for medical bills, phone calls and clean up after his pet cat.”

[The Rules are far more strident and dangerous than that; see: ‘LEAKED: Here Are the Demands Ecuador Has Given Julian Assange in Order to End His Isolation’, thegatewaypundit.com, Oct. 15, 2018, including the massive invasions of privacy for his Visitors, and Medical:

“The document says that Assange must submit to the quarterly evaluations with medical specialists at his own expense.

The results of any examinations will be kept private.

“In case of a medical emergency or at the express request of mr. Assange, the Head of the Mission will authorize your transfer, as soon as possible, to receive care from physicians outside the Embassy,” the document says.

The UK has repeatedly denied Assange safe passage to a hospital after doctors who examined him called for him to be allowed to go and be treated for his deteriorating health. If he was to be transported to a hospital, it is extremely likely he would be arrested.”

John Bolton would no doubt be driving the ambulance, and it would head straight to the airport, next stop: Gitmo, Cuba.]

“Assange’s lawyer said that his client would be appealing the decision and that another hearing would take place in the near future. 

During the hearing, Assange said the new rules were a sign Ecuador was trying to push him out and said Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno had already decided to end his asylum but had not yet officially given the order.”

“Regarding the question of whether it’s in the State’s interest to maintain the asylum, a source at the foreign ministry stated that Mr. Assange may keep his asylum if it is in his interest if he abides by the rules the judge has deemed constitutional.

His comments prompted the South American country’s top government attorney, Iñigo Salvador, to interrupt him and warn him not to make political statements during the proceedings.

Assange’s possible handover was also hinted by former President Rafael Correa in an interview with RT. Correa, during whose leadership Assange was granted asylum in the embassy, also mentioned that he is an Ecuadorean citizen since 2017 and deserves his fundamental rights to be protected by the country.

Court officials told journalists they could not record any of the statements made during the hearing.

Salvador did not directly respond to Assange’s allegations, but he had told reporters last week Assange was welcome to stay in the embassy with the new rules. He also said the United Kingdom in August had assured Assange would not be extradited if he left the embassy, where he has lived since 2012.

The new rules, against which WikiLeaks lawyer filed a lawsuit, Assange is responsible for getting his own food thereby increasing his risk of arrest by U.K. authorities. His visitation rights have also been restricted.

Ecuadorean embassy also said it is not responsible for the “food, medical provisions, laundry or other costs related to Julian Assange from December 1, 2018, and onward.” The diplomats underlined that he will also have to pay for and clean up after his pet cat.” [snip]

In a departure from its previous practice of maintaining a dialogue with British authorities over Assange’s situation, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister José Valencia told Reuters last week that the government would no longer intervene on Assange’s behalf, adding that the government was “frustrated” by the lawsuit.”

Oh, yes, FM Valencia: we’re sure you’ve been intervening on Assange’s behalf…you bastid Amerikan suck-up.  Oh wait: you mean ‘as Rafael Correa had, got it.

WikiLeaks Twit Longer: ‘Statement: Julian Assange launches case over his continued gagging, threat’, Oct. 19, 2018

Oddly, when I’d checked the WL Twitter account twice yesterday, they didn’t have a word about this news, and don’t as of this a.m..  I’d found it accidentally looking for Telesur’s Brazil page.

Ah, Mike Head at wsws.org expands on this creepy news this morning, bless his heart: (a few bits)

“In line with this silencing of Assange, court officials told journalists they could not record any of the statements made during the hearing. Nevertheless, reports of Assange’s warning of the move against him were broadcast internationally.”

[Wot?  Whistleblower Leaks in Quito?  Search-and-destroy, Lenin Moreno!]

“This is an indication of the widespread global support for the courageous journalist and for WikiLeaks, which continues to publish leaks exposing the crimes of the US and other governments, along with the corporate giants that work closely with them.”

Ecuadorian judge Karina Martinez swiftly rejected the lawsuit, saying the country’s foreign ministry was in charge of determining Assange’s living conditions. Assange’s legal team immediately appealed the ruling. “The Ecuadorian state has an international responsibility to protect Assange,” attorney Carlos Poveda said.”

[Remember Assange’s attorneys had said that the hearing would be in a domestic court, whatever that is, but why there?]

“Significantly, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Jose Valencia, who has supervised the preparation of the new protocol, declined to comment on Assange’s assertion that Ecuador sought to hand him over to the United States.

The protocol—contemptuously depicted by many corporate media outlets as being about trivial issues such as Assange’s cat and personal hygiene—is a clear violation of the right to political asylum. It not only prohibits the WikiLeaks founder from making any political comments deemed detrimental to Ecuador or its “good relations” with “any other state.” It also makes clear that he and his communications, as well as anyone who visits him, will be subjected to surveillance, with the results shared with US and British spy agencies.”

Head writes about the ‘medical calumnies’ as well.  You know most of the rest.