WikiLeaks Enthusiasts Claim Assange Has Been Subjected to ‘Excessive and Dehumanizing’ Treatment
- Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:15pm by
Billy Hallowell
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LONDON (The Blaze/AP) — After six months under virtual house arrest, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange acknowledged Thursday that his detention is hampering the work of the secret-spilling site. His supporters accused Britain of subjecting him to “excessive and dehumanizing” treatment.
The 39-year-old Australian is living at a supporter’s rural estate as he fights extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over claims of rape and sexual molestation made by two women.
Assange’s bail conditions require him to observe an overnight curfew, wear an electronic tag and report to police daily.
His supporters released a video to The Associated Press condemning the conditions. In it, WikiLeaks associate Sarah Harrison accuses authorities of treating Assange “like a caged animal.”
Watch the video below, where Harrison and others sympathetically discuss Assange’s current situation:
British prosecutors, who initially opposed bail, say the strict conditions are necessary because the claims against Assange are serious and he is a flight risk.
Barrister and legal commentator Carl Gardner said that although Assange’s freedom of movement is constrained, “he can move around, he can make public appearances. He is at liberty in the most basic sense of the phrase.”
The video also claims police have set up surveillance cameras near the house to record license plates of visiting cars.
Vaughan Smith, who owns the 600-acre (240-hectare) property in eastern England, called it a “pretty intrusive regime” and said three cameras had appeared near the property since Assange came to stay.
Assange, who roamed the globe before his arrest in December, told the AP that he had become “a fixed target” for snoopers.
“It is easy to conduct surveillance against me and anyone I talk to,” Assange said. “We take steps against this, but it is costly and time-consuming.”
He said his house arrest had been “the single largest impediment to our work, with the possible exception of the illegal blockade being conducted by the major U.S. financial institutions against us.”
Some U.S.-based banks and financial services have refused to handle payments to WikiLeaks.
U.S. authorities are investigating whether Assange and WikiLeaks violated American laws by releasing tens of thousands of secret government documents, including daily logs from the Iraq war and classified diplomatic cables from U.S. missions around the world.
Prosecutors have convened a grand jury near Washington to probe the WikiLeaks disclosures.
“A lot of our resources are tied up in dealing with the situation in the United States and the grand jury and this Swedish extradition case and the banking blockade placed on us by Visa, Mastercard, Bank of America and so on,” Assange said. “So, while we are still producing publications every day, a lot of those resources have been taken away to deal with these events.”
On July 12, the High Court in London will hear Assange‘s appeal against a judge’s order that he be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual molestation against two women. Assange denies the charges, which he claims are politically motivated.
He said that if he lost the appeal, he could go to Britain’s Supreme Court or the European Court of Human Rights. He said he was confident he would be cleared.
“I feel that the Swedish authorities will drop the case,” Assange said. When asked why, he replied only that “there are many players in the Swedish situation.”
Swedish prosecutors did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
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Comments (50)
Smug
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:23amI don’t have any pity for this Weasel. When you stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, you’re going to pay the consequences. Him and his little Weasel buddie Manning didn’t mind doling it out, but act like a couple of cry babies when they have to pay the piper………..MSSMUG
Report Post »Arc
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 4:31amTo some “liberals” the laws of humanity apply only when they are threatened or verbally mistreated, then they raise hell about the way the authority maintains some semblance of civility. Under Manning and Assanges’ idea of security, peace and tranqulity, the rules only apply to their enemies. Their attitude is ” all US citizens should adopt our ( Assange & Manning ) approach to all mankind and that is , ” even though we have never believed in the US way to assure freedoms, we will do everything in our power to disrupt and eliminate the rights of other Americans simply because we do not think it is right for you to secure your freedom in any way you see fit.. Therefore, all US secrets and operational plans of the US government will be made public because MANNING & ASSANGE have
Report Post »COME TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM ITSELF.
our power to
momsense
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 3:17amThey’re criminals ( both he and Manning) and they expected to be treated like kings?
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 12:39amI have mixed feelings about Assange. Part of me wants him to die a horrible death, but the other part of me is happy that he gave Hillary Cllinton a big, fat black eye! He embarrassed our corrupt government to its core!
Of course, this also resulted in helping to spark off “Arab Spring.” He probably has George Soros’ blessings. Maybe we should honor him with a little award, and then put him in front of a firing squad.
To be honest, I really don’t care what happens to the little piece of rat feces.
Report Post »ED4237
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 12:26amWho cares what happens to this tool box? This guy and his socalled journalist website is only after America and who pays for so he can run his web site. The miracle this guy still walks and talks any other country like Russia or China this guy is dead a week latter.
Report Post »geonj
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 12:19amassange needs to be sent to gitmo.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:56pmhe’s still breathing, why are they complaining at all.
Report Post »llotus
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:56pmI hope if I ever get in big trouble I get house arrest. Maybe he would feel more at home in an over crowded prison cell. He would have time to mull over the things he has been doin causing un-needed problems. House arest in the country sounds like a vacation to me. Lotus.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:39pmIntentional leaks?….yup
Report Post »Randyrocker
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:35pmSeems like the comments are being censured, typical when it comes to any dialogue about WikiLeaks.
Report Post »Why even bother discussing the the Julian Assange case when all you’re going to do is censure comments, like the prevailing governments are seen preventing and censuring WikiLeaks itself.
Why have any forum at all?
chips1
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:20pmIt could be worse. He could be a goldfish in San Fransicko.
Report Post »frustratedwithgovt
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:19pmTwo comments. 1st – he living at an estate in the countryside – boo hoo. Sounds horrible. 2nd – For every action there is a reaction – deal with it. I can only hope someone runs through all your personal emails and files and posts them for all to see.
Report Post »seayalater73
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:10pmAre you F-ing kidding me? A guy that participated in one of the biggest betrayals of western society and her fighting servicemen is whining about being restricted to a 600 acre estate? He’s living better than I do on deployment!
Report Post »I think our SEAL buddies need to pay him a visit for some putting out of misery action…
Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:08pmLiberals haven’t seen anything yet, this is “play time” to what‘s coming if things aren’t changed, count on it.
Report Post »seayalater73
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:23pmI usually push for death penalty only for military and goverment individuals guilty of betrayal. I think your right about the near future, though. The guy is our enemy. Sniper-up.
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:06pmSad. I agree with all of you.
Report Post »rosecityken
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:01pmSo? who cares if they are beating him daily? I’d say its charma
Report Post »Judeo_Christian
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:00pmI’m supposed to be better than this but I can only find contempt for this man. I wish him pain and torment for the rest of his days.
Report Post »survivorseed
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 1:31amIts incredible that Blazers are not supporting this man. I thought you were all against the lying secretive govt but someone exposes the lies and we all wish him ill. There is no evidence that a single soldiers life has been put in danger because of the truths that have been exposed,
If Beck came out tomorrow and said Julian Assange is a hero, you would all be blowing smoke up his backside. Turn on your brain for a change blazers
Report Post »dissentnow
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:41am@survivorseed
Report Post »You are correct. Assange is a whistleblower. Most of the people who post on the Blaze are neo cons that can’t thinbk outside of their neo con box
jcannon98188
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 12:07pmWhile true he is a whistle blower, and for that he is a hero, there can also be a case made that what he did was horrible. He did place out soldiers into even more danger than they were before, and did technically break the law. But that said, I support him and what he did. But now he is just being a baby.
Report Post »Progressive Wrecking Crew
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:58pmNaw….taking it from the back from another man isn’t ‘Excessive and Dehumanizing’ Treatment but being locked in a prison cell for releasing American military secrets for financial gain and to foment world unrest is?
This Momo should be loving it in prison and is lucky he just isn’t executed, so put him in the general population and he‘ll get all the love he wants and needs his daddy and mommy didn’t give him when he was a little weasel albino.
Report Post »hersey10
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:56pmI think he has it coming after that video of him dancing surfaced .
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:54pmwikileaks.gov
Report Post »StargazerInSavannah
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:35pmI seriously doubt that he has been subjected to anything. Certainly would make me feel a lot better if I could be certain tan someone was going to pull out his finger nails or send him to the North Vietnamese for five years in a bamboo cage.
Report Post »Might even make me smile a bit if he were turned over to Hamas along with evidence that his mother was a Jew.
wordweaver
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:33pmLet me see if I can muster up any sympathy for this “tool”… Nope, I got nothing. Probably the cruelest thing about his current situation is having to eat British food. I think he’ll survive. We could arrange a transfer to Gitmo, maybe.
Report Post »miles from nowhere
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:29pmThis wikileaks guy should be put in the same holding cell with the inmate that killed Jeffry Daumer and the prison guards can all turn there backs for a few moments. I do not know if I spelled the human eater name corectly, but if I did not I am only a little sorry.
Report Post »HUGGINGMYBABIES
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:22pmIt‘s Dahmer and he’s dead. Got killed along with this high profile guy that stabbed his wife and tried to pin it on some black kids nearby, a fellow inmate offed them both. We also had cryptosporidium here pretty bad, so we changed our state motto to:
Report Post »Welcome to Wisconsin! You can eat the people, BUT you can’t drink the water!
Chet Hempstead
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:05amWasn’t Ed Gein from Wisconsin too? What’s the deal with you guys and eating people?
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:26pmcry me a river
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:14pmPoor thing, isn’t he living in a castle on that 600 acres.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:20pmHe needs to get a new hairdresser then.
Report Post »HUGGINGMYBABIES
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 10:59pmMaybe he would prefer a pine box, one like the soldiers he’s betrayed are in? Suck it up loser! I have 200 homeless I help serve who’d consider your situation a blessing. Get over yourself.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:26pmMaybe he is upset because he didn’t get a weiner pic.
Report Post »jeffyfreezone
Posted on June 16, 2011 at 11:48pmDid they sit him in front of a tv and make him watch himself dancing on video?
Report Post »FlatFoot
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 1:51amAw. Poor baby.
Report Post »avenger
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:56amhe is lucky to be alive….
Report Post »txbigfoot
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 9:34amBoo Friggin hoo
Report Post »what a whussy. to be in a 600-acre compound rather than a jail and to be crying … he is lucky he is not in a gulag. Thats where I would have put him, right next to bubba and I would put him in a pink outfit.
JRook
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:12pmFor revealing information that put our military and informants in danger should be tried for treason or better yet just drop him off in Afghanistan just before a drone strike. However, for revealing information that our government withheld regarding unconstitutional acts and other activities for the last 10 years which are at best unethical and illegal, he should be receive our highest praise.
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