Russia Hatched Plan To Help Assange Escape London Last Year
- by Thibaud Popelin
- in Monde
- — Sep 22, 2018
The Wikileaks founder has been at the centre of a diplomatic row since 2012, and has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London after obtaining political asylum from the country.
A bold plot that would have seen Wikileaks founder Julian Assange smuggled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London to Russian Federation in 2017 has been revealed.
However, the plan was scrapped as it was deemed too risky.
The Australian was planning to eventually travel to Ecuador, the letter says. The paper, claimed that Ecuador's former London consul, Fidel Narvaez, was in talks with Russian diplomats and in constant contact with a "Russian businessman" who coordinated the proposed operation with the Kremlin.
Mr. Assange, 47, was granted asylum by Ecuador within weeks of seeking refuge in its London embassy more than six years ago, though an outstanding arrest warrant issued by United Kingdom authorities and the related risk of being extradited overseas have kept him from exiting ever since. The Ecuadorean foreign ministry could not be reached for comment.
If Assange goes to Russian Federation, he can not be extradited to the US.
Citing four sources, The Guardian said Russians held secret talks in London previous year with people close to the Australian-born WikiLeaks publisher on the subject of potentially facilitating his safe exit from the embassy, his residence since 2012. "Russia is always happy to welcome worldwide guests if they arrive in a lawful manner and with good intentions".
According to The Guardian, the aborted Christmas Eve escape plan involved utilizing the diplomatic protection Mr. Assange would have been granted had the request been accepted.
The aborted effort suggests Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno had engaged Moscow to resolve the situation of Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy for six years to avoid arrest by British authorities on charges of skipping bail. The document came after Assange was granted citizenship there. Britain and Ecuador fearUS prosecutors have a sealed indictment against him and will extradite him to the US.
Despite widespread speculation over the summer that he may soon be kicked out of the Ecuadorian embassy by Moreno as part of an effort to establish closer ties with the US, Assange's asylum status seems to be safe for now, his lawyer told RT on Thursday.
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