Assange Under Fire

Julian Assange is finally evicted...

After having been cooped up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years, Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, is finally back in UK custody. There is an Italian saying that states that guests are like fish: after three days they start to stink. Assange certainly did not show gratitude to his long-suffering hosts. The statements by the Ecuadoran President below highlight the exasperation. He even threatened to sue them! The government of Ecuador has been remarkable patient while granting Assange asylum in their Embassy, after he had jumped bale relating to rape charges in Sweden. Seven years is a long time. There are, nevertheless, examples that are even more spectacular than his with regards to duration.

Extended asylum

The Hungarian Cardinal József Mindszenty is a case in point. After having been liberated from his imprisonment by the Nazi regime in 1945, he was soon behind bars again in 1948. This time under the Communists. He was freed during the short lived Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and this gave him a brief window of opportunity to seek refuge in the US Embassy in Budapest. He stayed there until 1971: a period of 15 years! His release was the outcome of a compromise Pope Paul VI reached with the Hungarian regime.

Smuggling him out was never an option

Assange has been confined to his quarters in the embassy since June 19, 2012. If you are wondering why they did not try to smuggle him out, the answer is that the chances of success would have been very slim. 

Crowds waiting to hear Julian Assange speak from a window of the Ecuadoran Embassy in London in September 2012

In November 1964, Mordechai Louk, an Israeli citizen spying for Arab interests was drugged and bundled into a crate in the Embassy of the United Arab Republic (UAR) in Rome. The trunk he was in, which was labelled: UAR Embassy - Diplomatic Bag - Do not open, was intercepted in Rome when custom officers heard his moans within. However, it was whisked away by awaiting agents before the Italian authorities could open it. Eventually, the police managed to retrieve it after a blockbuster car chase. The details of the case are sketchy. The spectacular chase was apparently setup so that the UAR would not realise that their every move was being scrutinised by Mossad,the Israeli secret service. 

The extradition nightmare

Anyway, the man is out now. In a manner of speaking, that is. Still, may find he is better off in a UK prison. At least he should be able to get some exercise and fresh air. What his long term prospects are, however, is another matter. If he is extradited to the US, which seem most likely, he will find himself in a country where the death penalty and by the looks of it, even torture is not out of the question. 

Ah, but Trump praised WikiLeaks over a 100 times, you may be thinking. Well, to go back to another Italian (Sicilian) saying: nulla saccio; nulla vidi... I know nothing; I saw nothing... It is what mafia witnesses were accustomed to say. Brazenly, Trump stated today that he knows nothing about WikiLeaks. Welcome to Trump's America, Julian... And good luck!