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http://democracynow.org
- Britain has announced plans to challenge Ecuador’s decision to provide asylum
to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in its London embassy, saying the $18
million price tag for policing the Ecuadorean Embassy during Assange’s residency
is "unacceptable" to the British taxpayer. In response, Ecuador’s Foreign
Ministry released a statement saying it is saddened Assange’s confinement has
lasted so long, adding that its government had offered "31 times" to facilitate
an "open judicial process" in Sweden. This comes just a day after Swedish
prosecutors dropped part of their sexual assault inquiry against Assange, but
the most serious part of the probe remains in place even though he has never
been formally charged. Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in
London for three years, where he’s received political asylum. He fears he will
be extradited to the United States to face prosecution for his role at WikiLeaks
if he leaves the embassy.
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