Wikileaks' Assange won't leave Ecuador embassy

This Monday, Feb. 7, 2011 file photo shows WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leaving Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London. ignored a British police summons as he waits to hear about his asylum bid. / Kirsty Wigglesworth

(CBS/AP) LONDON - WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange has defied a British police summons and won't be leaving the Ecuadorean Embassy in London until he hears about his asylum bid, a member of his defense fund said Friday.

British police had demanded that the silver-haired computer expert report to a London police station Friday, the first step in what would have been his extradition to Sweden over sex crime allegations.

But Susan Benn, a member of his defense fund, said he would rebuff the U.K. authorities.

"Mr. Assange has been advised that he should decline the police request," she told reporters gathered outside the embassy, saying that the 40-year-old Australian was seeking asylum from Ecuador and that "asylum assessments take priority over extradition claims."

Assange had been widely expected to ignore the U.K. summons. He argues that the sex claims made against him by two Swedish women back in 2010 have been manipulated by his enemies and that extradition to Sweden is a first step in a plan to fly him to the United States, where officials are investigating him and his secret-spilling website over the disclosures of hundreds of thousands of confidential government documents.

Pfc. Bradley Manning, a 24-year-old U.S. soldier from Oklahoma, has been charged with aiding the enemy my leaking confidential documents to Wikileaks and is currently waiting trial.

Assange has fought extradition through the U.K. court system for the better part of two years. It was when his legal options ran out earlier this month that Assange made the dramatic decision to skip bail and seek refuge with Ecuador — a small Latin American nation whose leader has long expressed sympathy for WikiLeaks.

British police can't arrest Assange until he leaves the embassy, and Ecuadorean officials are still weighing Assange's asylum request. Even if they grant it, it isn't clear he'll be able to leave for Ecuador without being detained once he steps out the door. He could conceivably camp out at the embassy indefinitely, although that would presumably constrain his freedom.

Ben told reporters that Assange is in "good spirits."

"He's very grateful for the support shown to him by the people of Ecuador, and so many others from around the world," she said.

[qh4dotcom]

"He put the lives of hundreds of thousands of people at risk. No mercy should be given this coward"
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Hasn't the US government also put the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people at risk with their stupid wars and endless bombings?

[Nocults]

Dumya won't travel to Europe because he too is afraid of prosecution.

REUTERS - Former U.S. President George W. Bush has cancelled a visit to Switzerland, where he was to address a Jewish charity gala, due to the risk of legal action against him for alleged torture, rights groups said on Saturday.

Bush was to be the keynote speaker at Keren Hayesod's annual dinner on Feb. 12, 2011 in Geneva. But pressure has been building on the Swiss government to arrest him and open a criminal investigation if he enters the Alpine country.

Criminal complaints against Bush alleging torture have been lodged in Geneva, court officials say.

Human rights groups said they had intended to submit a 2,500-page case against Bush in the Swiss city on Monday for alleged mistreatment of suspected militants at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba where captives from Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts in the so-called War on Terror were interned.

[Nocults]

Gitmo
Abu Gharib
Extraordinary renditions
Urinating on the dead
Murdering children
Raping and killing women and girls
Burning your holy books

Anyone else want a little "Democracy"????????

[hoarse01]

This vile piece of filth deserves the full force of international law. He put the lives of hundreds of thousands of people at risk. No mercy should be given this coward

[Nocults]

When Cheney outed a covert CIA operative for political retribution, were you just as outraged????????????