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posted by martyb on Sunday October 21 2018, @04:42PM   Printer-friendly
from the be-nice-to-your-hosts dept.

Julian Assange Says He's Suing Ecuador for 'Violating His Fundamental Rights'

Julian Assange announced on Friday that he was suing the Ecuadorean government for "violating his fundamental rights," claiming that his longtime hosts at the country's embassy in London are limiting his contact with the outside world and censoring his speech.

His legal team in the matter, led by the former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, revealed the suit at a news conference in Quito, where the lawsuit was filed. The action aims to prevent strict new rules governing Mr. Assange's visitors and online activity from taking effect.

The policies were laid out in a nine-page memo that was published by a news site this month. (They include directives to clean his bathroom and look after his cat.)

Clean up your room and brush your teeth before you go to bed.

Also at Reuters, CNN, and USA Today.

Previously: Julian Assange has His Internet Access Cut Off by Ecuador
Ecuador Spent $5 Million Protecting and Spying on Julian Assange
Ecuador Reportedly Almost Ready to Hand Julian Assange Over to UK Authorities
Associated Press Publishes Supposedly Leaked WikiLeaks Documents
The Guardian: Russian Diplomats Planned to Sneak Julian Assange Out of the UK


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Virindi on Sunday October 21 2018, @04:49PM (5 children)

    by Virindi (3484) on Sunday October 21 2018, @04:49PM (#751710)

    Seems a bit ungrateful. He's free to leave right? He's not a prisoner? They gave him asylum, and this seems like throwing it in their faces. Who would want to help such a person in the future? I hope he never needs anyone else's charity.

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  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 21 2018, @07:25PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 21 2018, @07:25PM (#751749)

    If I was seeking asylum, I think it would also be nice not to have rights violated. Not trying to parse this specific case, just mentioning do onto others stuff.

    • (Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 21 2018, @07:58PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 21 2018, @07:58PM (#751755)

      The obesity epidemic is something that the United States is all too familiar with. This was, of course, because it had one of the highest obesity rates in the world.

      The obese have a lower quality of life, higher medical expenses, and shortened lifespans. It's no wonder that so many are concerned about this problem. However, what can be done to tackle this issue? Until now, no proposed solutions have been effective. Until now.

      A large group of people were lined up in the room. They appeared to be wearing clothing designed to accommodate exercise, and the room appeared to be designed for that purpose as well. These people all had their eyes on one person: Their exercise instructor. This instructor's job was, of course, to teach them exercises to help combat their obesity. However, just promoting exercise would not be enough by itself to significantly reduce obesity. The operators of the program understood this, and that was why this routine was far from ordinary. No, it was extraordinary.

      95%. If an overweight or obese person went through this program, there was a 95% chance that they would return to a normal, healthy weight range and maintain that weight. The groundbreaking success of this program surprised even those who had researched and developed it; it was to the point where governments and corporations were throwing massive amounts of money at it. The end to the obesity epidemic was finally in sight.

      Just then, the instructor finished showing the men the exercises, and then instructed them to choose one and start doing it. After that, each man grabbed some exercise equipment and started doing one of the many different exercise routines that were shown to them. It was brutal.

      The children were thrown around like ragdolls as they were violated by the men. Their heads slammed into hard floors and walls as the men pumped into their genitals and anuses. Their bodies were used as punching bags. Their bones cracked and broke. Their muscles stretched and tore. Echoes of children screaming and crying seemed to continue without end.

      Yes, this was the true nature of the exercise program. Ordinary exercise would not be effective, since it's tiring and monotonous. However, if you make the exercise routine entertaining and addictive, it makes it easy to follow through. The researchers who developed this astounding program understood this all too well. Thus, the men brutally violated the children in a number of physically-demanding positions, to simultaneously lose weight and to satisfy their unending lust.

      The children broke one after another, their screams for mercy completely ignored by the lustful men. No, their screams weren't ignored; in fact, the men reveled in them. Yes, the men reveled in the children's cries and screams, and enjoyed them to the very end. After several hours, the building was silent and no children remained. It was time to leave.

      Dozens of sweaty men exited the large building and began traveling home, yawning and stretching as they did so. They were exhausted, but their exhaustion only gave them hope for a future where they could be proud of their bodies.

      Hope. It was something that was never granted to the hundreds of children being casually tossed into dumpsters by the building's employees. However, it was never granted to them because they simply never deserved it to begin with.

  • (Score: 2) by Fluffeh on Monday October 22 2018, @03:24AM (1 child)

    by Fluffeh (954) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 22 2018, @03:24AM (#751853) Journal

    Yes, it does seems a bit ungrateful on the surface, but at the same time, he really is a prisoner. He'll get arrested the moment he steps foot outside the embassy for the "skipped bail" thingy - and immediately be extradited to the US where he'll get a military trail at the utter best - but much more likely he'll get trudged from black site to black site for a while before finally being made an example of.

    Saying he's free to walk out anytime is like saying that a dying-from-dehydration man in a lift-raft can drink all the seawater he wants to.

    Obviously no-one thought that this could possibly go on this long - and lets face it, he must be depressed as hell, stuck in that cramped space. While Ecuador are stuck in a hard place, on one hand they want to do the right thing (or be seen to) and on the other hand, having him there is making other relations more difficult for them and they can't move or help get him out. All the time, symptoms of that depression must be showing more and more:

    Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder#Signs_and_symptoms [wikipedia.org]

    Major depression significantly affects a person's family and personal relationships, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health.[20] Its impact on functioning and well-being has been compared to that of other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes.

    A person having a major depressive episode usually exhibits a very low mood, which pervades all aspects of life, and an inability to experience pleasure in activities that were formerly enjoyed. Depressed people may be preoccupied with, or ruminate over, thoughts and feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt or regret, helplessness, hopelessness, and self-hatred. In severe cases, depressed people may have symptoms of psychosis. These symptoms include delusions or, less commonly, hallucinations, usually unpleasant. Other symptoms of depression include poor concentration and memory (especially in those with melancholic or psychotic features), withdrawal from social situations and activities, reduced sex drive, irritability, and thoughts of death or suicide. Insomnia is common among the depressed. In the typical pattern, a person wakes very early and cannot get back to sleep. Hypersomnia, or oversleeping, can also happen. Some antidepressants may also cause insomnia due to their stimulating effect.

    A depressed person may report multiple physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or digestive problems; physical complaints are the most common presenting problem in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization's criteria for depression. Appetite often decreases, with resulting weight loss, although increased appetite and weight gain occasionally occur. Family and friends may notice that the person's behavior is either agitated or lethargic. Older depressed people may have cognitive symptoms of recent onset, such as forgetfulness, and a more noticeable slowing of movements. Depression often coexists with physical disorders common among the elderly, such as stroke, other cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson's disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    • (Score: 2) by Virindi on Wednesday October 24 2018, @11:53AM

      by Virindi (3484) on Wednesday October 24 2018, @11:53AM (#752914)

      Sure, but it's not Ecuador which is keeping him prisoner. They seem to have done nothing but help. Which is my point, if he was suing the UK that would be different.

      My point being that given what Ecuador has done for him, he could at least be a good guest. They invited him into their home and asked him not to make a mess and not to make them look bad, and he responded by suing them.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday October 22 2018, @02:06PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 22 2018, @02:06PM (#751969) Journal

    He is not ungrateful. He is merely asserting his rights to things to which he is entitled.

    How dare that ungrateful Ecuador not give him everything he wishes!

    After all Julian is gracing them with the fame and notoriety of his presence in their embassy. Why shouldn't they at least show some gratitude?

    The Saudis were alleged to have the capability to smuggle someone from their embassy in multiple briefcases without that person being arrested.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.