WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has received a 50-week jail sentence for breaching his bail conditions when he sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
Assange entered the embassy in June of 2012 fearing extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault. He remained there for nearly seven years until Ecuador withdrew asylum and he was subsequently arrested by British police.
In a video posted to Twitter, president of Ecuador Lenín Moreno said that Assange’s asylum had been terminated due to his “repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life protocols“, alleging that he was attempting to influence the politics of other countries, blocked security cameras in the embassy, and mistreated security guards — among other stranger accusations.
Assange was found guilty shortly after he was arrested, facing a maximum sentence of a year in prison. According to 9 News, Assange’s legal team argued that he sought refuge in the embassy because he was “acutely aware that US authorities were interested in him” and believed he could have been “kidnapped at any time and brought forcibly to the US“.
Defence asking the Judge to consider Assange’s genuine fears and reasons for bail violation in 2012. “He was faced with an impossible
choice and he reacted accordingly” @9NewsAUS— Amelia Adams (@AmeliaAdams9) May 1, 2019
He will face court again on Thursday in regards to his extradition to the US. The rape case was closed by Swedish authorities in 2017.
