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Julian Assange speaks out on Obama’s hypocrisy about freedom of speech

Assange Mocks Obama In Video At UN Event HUFFINGTON POST, (includes video  (stupid advertisements  interrupt  this video) Reuters  |   
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26  – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, speaking via a choppy video feed from his virtual house arrest in London, lashed out at U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday for supporting freedom of speech in the Middle East while simultaneously “persecuting” his organization for leaking diplomatic cables.

Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy since June to
avoid extradition, made the comments at a packed event on the
sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Assange mocked Obama for defending free speech in the Arab world in an
address to the United Nations on Tuesday, pointing to his own
experience as evidence that Obama has “done more to criminalize free
speech than any other U.S. president.”…. “It’s time for President
Obama to keep his word … and for the U.S. to cease its persecution
of WikiLeaks,” he said.

Assange’s combative comments, plus statements made by Ecuadorean
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino and his other allies at the event,
suggested no solution is in sight to the diplomatic standoff
surrounding the 41-year-old Australian.

British authorities have surrounded the Ecuadorean Embassy and said if
Assange sets foot outside, they will arrest him and extradite him to
Sweden to face rape and sexual assault allegations.

Assange’s lawyers and Ecuador’s government fear that could lead in turn to extradition to the United States, where they say he would face “inhumane” prison conditions and even the death penalty.

Assange, who looked to be in good health as he sat at a desk in front
of a bookshelf and addressed the 150 or so people at the event, said
Britain and Sweden have so far refused to provide guarantees he would
not be extradited to the United States….. Patino rigorously defended
Ecuador’s decision to grant political asylum to Assange, expressing
disbelief that Britain is “determined” to arrest the former computer
hacker even though he said there are no criminal charges against him.
“This means you have reason to suspect he’s being persecuted,” Patino
said.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/assange-obama-video-un-event_n_1918028.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000032

September 28, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, secrets,lies and civil liberties