This photo got Julian Assange kicked out of Ecuadorian embassy
A photo of Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno lounging in bed with a giant platter of lobster in front of him may have spurred Julian Assange’s eviction from the country’s London embassy.
The snapshot — highly embarrassing to the left-wing Moreno, whose country is reeling under financial strain — was among 200 private e-mails, texts and documents posted to the anonymous Web site INApapers.org early last month.
Moreno blamed Assange’s WikiLeaks for the publication of the damning trove, which also included other photos of the president and his wife on lavish European vacations.
In a radio interview, Moreno griped that “photos of my bedroom, what I eat and how my wife and daughters and friends dance” were leaked.
“Assange cannot lie or, much less, hack into private accounts or private phones,” Moreno raged.
WikiLeaks has denied that it was behind the leak, but the online postings seem to be the straw that broke Moreno’s back.
On Thursday, the president ended Assange’s seven-year-long asylum in the embassy, opening the door for British police officers to arrest and hold the 47-year-old political lightning rod so he can face extradition to the United States on other hacking charges.
Ecuadorian officials said Assange’s embassy expulsion occurred because he committed a slew of transgressions, including messing with security cameras there, mistreating and even coming to blows with guards, accessing security files without permission, installing electronic distortion equipment and generally acting like a disgusting slob.
Assange smeared feces on embassy walls, said Ecuadorian Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo. Foreign Minister José Valencia added that Assange had “hygienic” problems, including one that was “very unpleasant” and “attributed to a digestive problem.”
In addition, Ecuadorian officials claimed Assange didn’t flush the toilet, left his dirty underwear lying around, didn’t do his dishes and didn’t properly take care of his cat.
Moreno also has said Assange violated an agreement with Ecuador that barred him from commenting on the political situations in other countries.
Political sources have said Moreno had been under increasing pressure from the Trump administration to boot Assange.
The US wants Assange to face charges he conspired with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a classified government computer to obtain a trove of documents that were released by WikiLeaks.
Moreno, who took the helm of Ecuador in 2017, tried applying pressure to Assange in the fall by curbing his access to the Internet and some visitors. Assange responded with a lawsuit.
Assange’s lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, on Sunday accused the South American country of spreading “outrageous” claims as an excuse to give its house guest the boot.
“Ecuador has made these allegations to justify the unlawful and extraordinary act of letting police come inside an embassy,” Robinson told Sky News.
Assange’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 2, and he’s expected to appear by video link.
In the meantime, he will seek prison medical care for severe shoulder pain and dental issues, WikiLeaks has said.
Ecuador President Lenin Moreno claimed Julian Assange used the Ecuadorean embassy as a 'centre for spying'
New York Post
My view: Oh Well, do not bite the hand that feeds you.
Sorry, Google ADs are off until 1st of May.