Posted on 02/21/2019 7:00:00 PM PST by Texas Fossil
Julian Assange has been issued a new passport by his native Australia, regional media reported Thursday, clearing one of several hurdles keeping the wanted WikiLeaks publisher from exiting the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and returning home.
Andrew Todd, an assistant secretary for the Consular and Crisis Management Division of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, confirmed that the government approved a passport application filed by Mr. Assange in 2018, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
“Mr. Assange does have an Australian passport,” Mr. Todd said during a Senate hearing, the newspaper reported.
Mr. Assange, 47, was born in Townsville, Australia, in 1971. He has lived in the Ecuadorian Embassy since 2012, however, when he sought asylum in the face of the U.S. investigating his WikiLeaks website over its publication of classified State and Defense Department material. British authorities issued a warrant for his arrest in the interim, and he fears he will be apprehended if he leaves the embassy and extradited to the U.S. to face charges related to releasing hundreds of thousands of secretive documents.
Ecuador granted asylum and citizenship to Mr. Assange in 2012 and 2017, respectively, but the future of his status has become clouded on account of the current administration in Quito repeatedly raising concerns recently regarding his ongoing residency.
snip
Mr. Assange ultimately was issued the passport in October 2018, the report said, following “lengthy negotiations” over whether he wanted abroad for a “serious” offense as described by Australian law.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
You can make up your mind what you think of him.
Allow him to go home, then set the record straight on Seth Rich, Hillary’s emails and all else. He has nothing to hide and a lot to expose.
What he did was expose corrupt government actions. He’s a hero.
The man who knows too much. That can be good for the people but deadly for him.
The way Assange has been treated by so called “free” countries is disgusting. Hope he is a free man sooner rather than later.
On that subject we agree. He had other unrelated charges in Sweden. It appears they are through with their investigation and evidently nothing remains of those charges.
It is possible the charges from Sweden were brought about to silence him about other things.
Guess, we will soon see how it plays out.
Similar article that cannot be posted here due to copyright complaint:
Yes. Arkancides or worse.
I agree. He is the consummate whistleblower.
I would like to see Assange's legal status in the United States stated clearly by the DOJ. If an indictment is waiting for him when he sets foot in this country, I want for him to know about it.
If necessary, I would like to see a Trump pardon, though it might be bad politics.
Assange's Wikipedia page makes good reading. He has lived a fascinating life.
Eric Snowden should be paying close attention.
He may get near the same treatment a little after the next election, when neither party can use his situation for political points.
Edward Snowden?
I’m not sure, I’m sure he is sick of being in Russia.
I really do not see how this passport does Assange any good
unless he can get to the Australian embassy and then not get extradited to the US.
Snowden’s girlfriend.
I remember the article about how he escaped in Hong Kong. He stayed in some very ratty places, barely got away. Some very plain people helped him, supplying food and supplies and sheltering him.
I think some reporter/photographer helped him too.
What is the difference between what he did and what the press did with the pentagon papers?
Is it that he doesn’t have a “press” license? if he didn’t steal the info what is it that he did illegally. Now those that did steal and release the info illegally...well they have issues with the law. But Assange? I’m still trying to see what his crime is.
Extradite him to the U.S., have him testify against the Clintons, and then send him home with sentence reduced to time served.
I’m tired, forgot the link:
Snowden’s girlfriend:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6588231/edward-snowden-girlfriend-lindsay-mills-inside-moscow-life/
Snowden and Assange are quite different.
Snowden STOLE information. He violated his NDA and the law.
Assange is like the media releasing the pentagon papers.
Well, maybe he has appeased 5 eyes.
“I’m not sure, I’m sure he is sick of being in Russia.”
WAYYYY better than solitary in Supermax or Quantico for life. He’s out of his ever loving mind if comes back before the civil war no matter -what- they promise him.
You are correct. He needs to reveal Seth Rich’s killer and the contents of his computer. I believe the case is the lynchpin for the entire Dem crime family -—once it’s revealed, many Dems will be safer if they turn themselves in.
I think the only way he gets out of the Ecuadorean consulate is for Australian consulate diplomats and military to escort him out the door and all the way back to Australia.
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