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Julian Assange Sues Ecuador for "Violating His Fundamental Rights"

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

takyon writes:

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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Original Submission

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

  by Fluffeh (954) 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.

  Parent

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• Re:Seems ungrateful (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.

  Parent