Security footage has surfaced from inside the Ecuadorian embassy Julian Assange spent seven years, showing the Wikileaks founder skateboarding through a room in bare feet.
The footage, obtained by Spanish paper El Pais, shows Assange skateboarding in a small timber-floored room while a woman watches.
Julian Assange has been filmed skateboarding around the Ecuadorian embassy during his seven-year stint inside. #9Today pic.twitter.com/cqf3lOmf2c
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 14, 2019
To be fair, who can blame the guy for trying to find something to do while being stuck inside a building for years. Who hasn’t tried to pull off a kickflip inside in an effort to avoid grazed elbows?
Assange spent almost seven years in the embassy seeking political asylum, believing himself to be the target of multiple governments for his role in surfacing corruption and US war crimes.
Over the weekend Ecuadorian president Lenín Moreno accused Assange of using the embassy to interfere with the internal affairs of other states – including the Vatican.
“He maintained constant improper hygienic behaviour throughout his stay, which affected his own health and affecting the internal climate of the diplomatic mission,” he said.
“We never tried to expel Assange, as some political actors want everyone to believe. Given the constant violations of protocols and threats, political asylum became untenable.”
Assange was forcibly removed from the embassy last week by British police after Ecuador revoked his political asylum and was quickly found guilty by a British court of breaching his bail conditions related to allegations of rape he faced in Sweden in 2012. The US has also requested his extradition, charging him with conspiracy to hack government computers.
The whistleblower’s arrest has prompted huge discussions over his role in press freedom, government transparency, and journalism.
