It seems that in recent days, Ecuador has become more tyrannical towards Assange than Britain is. With the recent terrible visit that Cassandra Fairbanks had and threats from the government to increase their protocol against Assange, it seems the country that once gave him asylum and support has turned on him. In fact, due to the US government coercing Ecuador, Moreno and his colleagues view Assange as an enemy. By gagging Assange for 8 months without visitors, phone or internet, the Ecuadorian government violated international law and literally tortured a man they gave refugee status.

When Julian’s lawyers took his treatment to the International American Court of Human Rights, the United States government threatened to stop funding them. 9 US Senators urged the defunding in December of 2018 but the timing is actually unusual and though it may be coincidental, seems to be fishy. Especially with the court ruling in Ecuador’s favor on his recent treatment.

In fact, a recent threat of arrest by Ecuador has circulated over the INA papers and the alleged offshore corruption. The problem with that is simple. Wikileaks simply retweeted articles that were already available on social media. They did nothing that we as individuals don’t do on a regular basis.

Regularly, Ecuador shows that it does not value free press or free speech by threatening Assange whenever their own corruption is exposed. Former President Correa of Ecuador has been quoted as calling Assange’s treatment torture on various occasions and has called out on Twitter the various crimes committed by Moreno’s own administration. In fact, recently a report was released that Moreno’s approval rating has plummeted to 17%!

During Cassandra Fairbank’s horrible visit where she was locked in a room, the evidence of the further persecution of Assange was evident. (Article seen here). One of her first statements appears below:

“The room was inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Julian Assange currently lives under the ostensible protection of political asylum. Yet the WikiLeaks publisher was barred from entering the room, where he was supposed to join me for a pre-approved meeting because he refused to submit to a full-body search and continuous surveillance.”

Assange was quoted as saying,

“I don’t want to do the body scan. It is undignified and not appropriate,” I heard Assange say. “I am just trying to have a private meeting with a journalist.”

Further into the article, she explains how she was locked into the meeting room for over an hour and then taken to the lobby to wait while the current ambassador and Assange met. The overheard argument before staff muffled it with a television and a fan included the following:

“You have been illegally surveilling me,” Assange sternly insists.

“I want you to shut up,” the ambassador says.

“I know you want me to shut up — the Ecuadorian president has already gagged me,” Assange fired back. “I am banned from producing journalism.”

Being a political refugee does not mean you are treated as criminal or prisoner. You have the same rights as anyone else should, yet Ecuador has been torturing Assange psychologically for over a year now. They have put in place protocol which takes away his right to do his job as a journalist. They have removed his right to free speech and are now attempting to punish him for retweets by Wikileaks from other media sources. This is not only cruel and unfair but it is illegal.

Another statement made by Assange during the argument was this:

“You are acting as an agent of the United States government and preventing me from speaking with a US journalist about these violations,” Assange demanded. “What kind of sovereign state allows its ambassadors to be interrogated by another nation? No self respecting state does that!”

“You have been working with the US government against me, it’s disgraceful! You are an agent of the US government, and there will be consequences for your illegal acts,” Assange continues.

Something must be done to free this man!

However, no matter the treatment Assange has not given in. He knows if he does, it will set a precedent for the persecution and prosecution of other journalists now and in the future. He remains strong even when it would be easy to bow. He is a modern day hero and we all must stand up for his rights now or lose our own!

#FreeAssange