For some time we have certain signs that “The Empire” will not choose the means to get a hand on Julian Assange. Since the former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who gave an asylum to Assange, left the position, “the Empire” has started building pressure for his extradition. It already has disregarded all the facts and law decisions, insisting on “facing the justice” — just for revealing the truth! On March 28th, Ecuadorian embassy has cut off his Internet connection (117 days of silence) under the excuse that Assange violated a written contract with its government in late 2017, “for which he's obligated not to issue messages that would interfere with relationships with other nations.”
Then, it came Ecuadorian National Court of Justice order to arrest former president Rafael Correa over the alledged kidnapping of political opponent, former lawmaker Fernando Balda in 2012.
On Friday, July 20th, Moreno traveled to London for the ostensible purpose of speaking at the 2018 Global Disabilities Summit, and that sparked fears that he came to finalize an agreement under which Ecuador will withdraw its asylum protection of Julian Assange. Glenn Greenwald wrote an article for “The Intercept”, reiterating the assessments of the former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who told The Intercept in an interview in May, Moreno’s government has returned Ecuador to a highly “subservient” and “submissive” posture toward western governments.
Unfortunately, feeding the Empire monster with one Julian Assange is just a less important part of the story. There are much more important aspects of this betrayal. For example, betrayal of his colleagues, journalists, who will open Pandora’s box of a precedent:
But if, as seems quite likely, the Trump administration finally announces that it intends to prosecute Assange for publishing classified U.S. government documents, we will be faced with the bizarre spectacle of U.S. journalists — who have spent the last two years melodramatically expressing grave concern over press freedom due to insulting tweets from Donald Trump about Wolf Blitzer and Chuck Todd or his mean treatment of Jim Acosta — possibly cheering for a precedent that would be the gravest press freedom threat in decades.
That precedent would be one that could easily be used to put them in a prison cell alongside Assange for the new “crime” of publishing any documents that the U.S. government has decreed should not be published. When it comes to press freedom threats, such an indictment would not be in the same universe as name-calling tweets by Trump directed at various TV personalities.
— Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept
When that could happen? Yesterday, a white van was seen removing furniture and belongings from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, following reports that Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno & British officials have come to an agreement under which Ecuador will withdraw its asylum protection for Julian Assange. Which means, it could happen very soon.
And then, there is the worst betrayal: If the imperial subjects… PEOPLE that is — does not show up in numbers to defend not only Julian Assange, but their right to know what crimes their government is plotting, they will renounce their right to be informed, and they will loose any chance to resolve the problems in a peaceful, democratic manner. We all know what comes after…
