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posted by takyon on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:15PM   Printer-friendly
from the with-friends-like-these dept.

Assange associate Ola Bini has been arrested in Ecuador for alleged involvement in hacking government computer systems. A large quantity of electronic equipment and credit cards were allegedly found in his suitcase and during a raid of his home.

Assange's arrest was designed to make sure he didn't press a mysterious panic button he said would bring dire consequences for Ecuador

Julian Assange's arrest at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London was carried out in a specific way to prevent him from pressing a mysterious panic button he said could bring dire consequences for Ecuador, its foreign minister said.

[...] It is not clear exactly what form the "panic button" took: whether it was a physical device or a metaphor for some other easily activated insurance measure. It is also unclear what leverage Assange thought he had over Ecuador.

Assange's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on the nature of the button and whether it existed. According to Valencia, though, it was serious enough for Ecuador to warn British authorities and carry out the raid in such a way that Assange was not able to get back into his room after learning of his imminent arrest.

Julian Assange must face Swedish justice first - MPs and peers

More than 70 MPs and peers have signed a letter urging the home secretary to ensure Julian Assange faces authorities in Sweden if they want his extradition.

[...] In their letter to Sajid Javid, 70 parliamentarians - chiefly Labour MPs and peers - urged him to "stand with the victims of sexual violence" and ensure the rape claim against the Wikileaks founder could be "properly investigated". "We do not presume guilt, of course, but we believe due process should be followed and the complainant should see justice be done," the letter said. Labour's Stella Creasy tweeted a copy of the letter sent to Mr Javid. The same letter was also sent to shadow home secretary Diane Abbott.

See also: The U.S. Government's Indictment of Julian Assange Poses Grave Threats to Press Freedom
Sweden Considers Request to Reopen Rape Investigation of Julian Assange
Four theories about Julian Assange's cat (also at NPR)

Previously: Wikileaks Co-Founder Julian Assange Arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London


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  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:35PM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:35PM (#829045)

    Apparently Assange isn't the computer mastermind he pretended to be. A simple command triggered if a timer is not reset would have worked. But if he understood timers, he would have known when to change his cat's litterbox and the SPCA wouldn't have issued a warrant for his arrest.

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  • (Score: 1, Troll) by Nuke on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:49PM (1 child)

    by Nuke (3162) on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:49PM (#829055)

    A simple command triggered if a timer is not reset would have worked.

    Perhaps it will yet. What an arsehole the man is.

    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by RandomFactor on Saturday April 13 2019, @10:36PM

      by RandomFactor (3682) Subscriber Badge on Saturday April 13 2019, @10:36PM (#829147) Journal

      That was my thought, any timer might take a day or two to trigger, or even a week (hey, he might get sick, better not to have to go all scorched earth on his hosts if he just gets a bout of the flu or his system crashes)

      --
      В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:59PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @07:59PM (#829064)

    Apparently this is a fake news snowjob, because Wikileaks and Assange knew for days that he was getting sold out imminently. Any "panic button" plan would doubtlessly have been put in motion days ago.

    One post here mentioned a $4.3b IMF loan that Ecuador closed on recently. Kinda pricy even for the Empire to only get one man. Throw in a couple more to bring down the unit price.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @08:11PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @08:11PM (#829074)

      I hear he sold his cat on Craigist just last week. Coincidence?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @08:13PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 13 2019, @08:13PM (#829075)

    Apparently Assange isn't the computer mastermind he pretended to be. A simple command triggered if a timer is not reset would have worked.

    I don't pay too much attention to him and his circus, but as I understood it from lots of mutterings online a few years ago, that is exactly what's in place, but at arms length (i.e. the release is under the control of a.n.others, if they don't get the 'safe' word from Assange within 'n' time units of him being incarcerated, this then triggers their release of the relevant decryption key(s) for files already distributed to interested parties).

    Any muppetry here is on the part of anyone who swallows the BS about it being a physical 'device' or the 'hero' of this amusing diversion being such a clueless twat it's a case of him having to log in and do something..

    (Ok, ok, in some aspects of his behaviour here he *is* a clueless twat and a muppet, he should have prepared a bit better for this, as his arrest was an on-the-cards-dead-certainty at least a month ago)

    ..when to change his cat's litterbox and the SPCA wouldn't have issued a warrant for his arrest.

    That's RSPCA laddie, and while you're laughably wrong about their ability to issue warrants, you still don't want to get on the wrong side of those fuckers...their pockets are deep and their propaganda machine is legendary, but, while they might like to play 'dress up' and make their 'inspectors' look like the police to intimidate, they've absolutely no special legal powers... [doglistener.co.uk]
     

  • (Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday April 14 2019, @12:05AM

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Sunday April 14 2019, @12:05AM (#829173) Homepage

    That was his shit smeared against the walls of the embassy, not cat shit.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 14 2019, @08:05AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 14 2019, @08:05AM (#829289)

    Assange was already banned from internet by embassy for long time after government change in Ecuador. That's how you can differentiate banana republics from stable governments. Banana republics change their entire posture on every government change. That's what makes doing business with them so pointless and why they remain banana republics... and now, America is close to joining these ranks.