International | Julian Assange

Leaker unplugged

The founder of WikiLeaks jumps bail—via the Ecuadorean embassy

WIKILEAKS is rarely in the headlines these days. But its founder Julian Assange is. Having failed at every stage in fighting his extradition to Sweden for questioning on sexual-assault charges, Mr Assange on June 29th issued a statement saying he had applied for asylum in Ecuador and had arrived at the country's London embassy. That would put him beyond the reach of British justice—at least so long as he stays there.

A handful of uniformed police officers came and went, leaving a small crowd of well-wishers (pictured) outside the block that houses the small embassy premises—in fact a large apartment. They did not include the celebrities who had helped raise £240,000 bail for Mr Assange, an Australian citizen. They had backed him strongly as he argued that the Swedish charges were bogus, the courts there unfair, and that he risked being extradited to America where he could face the death penalty for espionage. As he has breached his bail terms, they now stand to lose their money. One of them, the socialite Jemima Khan, said she was “surprised” by his move.

The choice of Ecuador is not as odd as it seems. Mr Assange recently interviewed Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, for Russia Today, a Kremlin-backed television channel. The men got on splendidly, sharing splenetic anti-American views. Both also come across as thin-skinned, narcissistic and selective when it comes to media freedom. Mr Assange wanted to censor his own biography. Mr Correa has built up a state media empire while threatening private outlets. Ecuador says it is now weighing the fugitive Australian's request, though its options seem limited. So do his.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline "Leaker unplugged"

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