to Sweden over sex assault allegations that he says are a US plot to jail him for leaking US military and diplomatic files . Image copyright AFP / Getty Image caption Mr Assange has been in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 But the war of words has escalated dramatically this month .
“ Because of the proximity to Sidney Blumenthal and the activity involving Hillary ’s emails , [ the timing ] seems to be something beyond curious , ” the report quoted Ron Hosko , former assistant director of the FBI ’s Criminal Investigative Division . Lazar was brought to the United States near the end of March and appeared at a Virginia federal court this week to face hacking charges , the report noted . The report added that the timing of his extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeis curious given the ongoing investigations of Clinton ’s alleged use of a private , unsecured email during her time as secretary of state , and noted that Guccifer ’s testimony could be a major blow to Clinton . In early 2013 , news outlets including Russia Today and The Smoking Gun published memos from Guccifer , with excerpts of exchanges between Blumenthal and Hillary Clinton about Libya including details following the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack . “ In a 2015 prison interview from Romania with reporter Matei Rosca for Pando.com , Lazar told Rosca that , “ I used to read [ Clinton ’s ] memos for six or seven hours … and then do the gardening . ”
Assange remains holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London after claiming asylum , where he ’s been for four years . Two women in Sweden have accused him of rape and other sexual offences , which he denies , citing a wider conspiracy . Assange has expressed fears that , if extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto Sweden , he would be in danger of being sent to the US , where he thinks he could face the death penalty . A former associate of Assange , who did not wish to be named , noted that there will be presidential elections in Ecuador in 2017 and the current leader , Rafael Correa , has stated that he will stand aside after 10 years in office . This could make Assange feel uncertain about his future protection .
Lazar , in a subsequent discussion , said he was working on a plea deal – he then suspended media contact earlier this month . On Monday , a spokesman for the U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia confirmed that a change of plea hearing is now scheduled for Lazar on Wednesday morning . He originally had pleaded not guilty to the nine - count indictment when he was extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto the U.S. He is now expected to plead guilty to some charges . It is not publicly known whether the deal being worked out has a provision for cooperating with federal authorities – and whether that has anything to do with the investigation into Clinton ’s exclusive use of a private email server for government business while secretary of state .
But the main issue , as I ’m sure Gordon and Ian will agree , is to stop the war in Syria and prevent more innocents from suffering and losing their lives and homes . I think the flopped coup , which is pushing Turkey out of the NATO orbit and into the waiting arms of Iran and Russia , is likely to help achieve that . What ’s more , I hope and expect that US refusal to extradite CIA stooge Gulen will help the AKP and its allies turn Turkey into a truly independent democratic Islamic republic like Iran , just as Carter ’s refusal to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditethe Shah helped consolidate the original democratic Islamic republic . And if Erdogan does consolidate power and avoids war crimes prosecutions … well , he is WAY down the list of war crimes perps as far as I am concerned . Let ’s clean house here in the USA ( starting with the Israelis / assets who own us and who did 9/11 ) and THEN move on to the smaller - time far - away crooks like Erdogan , whose apparent victory is not really about him , but about the Turkish people saving their decades - old movement toward Islam / democracy and independence from NATO - Zionist occupation .
Authorities have never charged him with a crime but they have mounted an extraordinary campaign to extradite him to Sweden for further questioning after he left the country . Assange has denied any criminal violation . Also , he has argued unsuccessfully in British courts that the investigation has been a ruse to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditehim to Sweden so he could then be extradited to the United States to face reported but still - secret U.S. charges . Assange is not subject to extradition directly from Britain to the United States . U.S. charges are reported to arise from WikiLeaks disclosures that severely embarrassed officials in the United States , Britain , Sweden and elsewhere in Western governments and private power centers .
“ POLITICAL DECISION ” “ Whether the U.S. extradites Gulen or not this will be a political decision , ” Bozdag said . “ If he is not extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite, Turkey will have been sacrificed for a terrorist . ” A recent opinion poll showed two thirds of Turks agree with their president that Gulen was behind the coup plot . Turkey has been holding almost daily mass rallies since July 15 in support of democracy and the government and against the plotters .
TESTING TIME Biden 's visit comes at a testing time for Turkish - U.S. relations . Erdogan wants the United States to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeFethullah Gulen , a Turkish cleric who has lived in self - imposed exile in Pennsylvania for 17 years and whose religious movement he blames for staging last month 's failed coup . Washington says it needs clear evidence of Gulen 's involvement and that it is a matter for the courts , a position that has sparked an outpouring of anti - Americanism from Turkey 's pro - government media . Gulen denies any role in the coup attempt .
Washington : A Romanian hacker nicknamed " Guccifer " who helped expose the existence of private email server Hillary Clinton used when she was US secretary of state has been sentenced to more than four years in prison . Marcel Lazar , 44 , who used the alias online , had pleaded guilty in May to charges including unauthorised access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft after being extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditefrom Romania . SHARE Share on Facebook SHARE
The decision is expected to be appealed within days , one of the lawyers involved in the case told Reuters . " We believe the court is being too formalistic , " said Jon Wessel - Aas , representing three Norwegian press organizations acting as third - party interveners supporting Snowden 's lawsuit . He acknowledged that there was no U.S. extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditerequest right now , but argued Washington was sure to make one if Snowden visited the country .
He drew on disclosures March 2 about Fredriksson in SVD ( Svenska Dagbladet , or Swedish Daily ) to illustrate a broader theme : that Swedish officials and thought leaders defer far more to the United States and authoritarian policies than commonly understood in liberal democracies , including Sweden . Sweden 's highly irregular investigation of Assange illustrates his thesis . Ecuador granted Assange political asylum in its London embassy three and half years ago to protect him from a relentless effort by Swedish authorities to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditehim for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations arising from two affairs he undertook from invitations by women attending his featured speech at an August 2010 conference in Sweden . Assange submitted to questioning about the claims from the two women , who had separately invited him to stay with them . Authorities have never charged him with a crime but they have mounted an extraordinary campaign to extradite him to Sweden for further questioning after he left the country .
In 2014 , Firtash was charged by the Justice Department with paying $ 18.5 million in bribes in India to expand his business empire . Court papers say it was a racketeering conspiracy to sell titanium materials to Boeing for their newest jet , the 787 . Last year , an Austrian judge refused to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditehim to the U.S. Manafort ’s business ties to Deripaska were detailed in a 2014 legal action in the Cayman Islands . Deripaska had been repeatedly denied a visa to enter the United States over his alleged ties to organized crime , current and former officials tell NBC News .
He faces a nine - count federal indictment on computer hacking charges and , according to both Romanian and U.S. officials , is expected to be in the country for 18 months . A spokesman for the FBI ’s Washington Field Office , which led the Guccifer investigation , had no comment on the extradition , the timing , and any potential intersection with the Clinton email probe . On or about March 31 , Lazar was extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite3,700 miles to Alexandria from a prison in Arad , Romania , where he has been serving a seven - year sentence for hacking crimes committed in his native country . His targets in Romania were prominent government officials and political figures whom he often taunted under the name of Micul Fum or “ Little Smoke . ” Following his 2014 conviction , Lazar was effectively neutralized in prison and no longer a threat , which makes his transfer to the U.S. all the more noteworthy .
. and then do the gardening . " Take his words seriously because he has been extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto the U.S. , and , according to one intelligence source , is likely in the country to help the FBI make its case against Clinton . By some accounts , Guccifer was not a particularly skilled hacker . But , again , he likely did n't have to be .
She said she assumed Russia would veto any attempt by the United Nations Security Council to bring those responsible to trial , so Australia would consider other options . “ There can be a Lockerbie - style prosecution , a tribunal that ’s set up by the international community , or there can be domestic prosecutions in , say , the Netherlands , ” she said . “ As long as they had the powers of extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeand the like , a prosecution could be mounted successfully in a domestic jurisdiction , but that would cover the interests of the 298 victims aboard that flight . ” “ Both have positive and negative attributes . I think a domestic style tribunal would possibly be easier to establish but you ’d have to make sure that it had all the necessary powers , for example extradition , to be able to absolutely hold those responsible for this atrocity to account . ”
Hosko noted that commitment of resources by the FBI to extradite Guccifer to the U.S. with the cooperation of Romania is significant . A review of recent federal cases by Fox News found that Guccifer ’s extradition appears to be an outlier . Hackers typically are extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditein the event of major financial theft , such as a 2013 case where three Romanian men stole in excess of $ 2 million in a cyber - fraud ring – and not in cases involving a breach of personal privacy . Catherine Herridge is an award - winning Chief Intelligence correspondent for FOX News Channel ( FNC ) based in Washington , D.C. She covers intelligence , the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security . Herridge joined FNC in 1996 as a London - based correspondent .
Hillary Clinton ’s FBI investigation may have just moved one step closer to an indictment for the Democratic front - runner , with experts saying the extradition of a Romanian hacker who revealed her unsecured email server could spell deep trouble for Clinton ’s presidential campaign . Last week , U.S. officials moved to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditethe hacker known as “ Guccifer , ’ who is accused of accessing the email of Clinton adviser Sidney Blumenthal . It was that hack which brought to light Clinton ’s use of a personal email during her time as secretary of state , reports claim . The hacker , whose real name is Marcel Lehel Lazar , will now be able to make the case that Hillary Clinton ’s email server was unsecure and could have spilled secrets to America ’s enemies , Fox News experts Catherine Herridge and Pamela K. Browne wrote .
The judiciary will look into the case in every aspect and evaluate . ” Syria plan Turkey says the coup attempt was organized by supporters of U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen and has called for his extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite, another source of Turkey ’s exasperation with the West . The shooting down of the Russian jet led to a freeze in relations , including economic sanctions and a bar on Russian tourism to Turkey that only thawed in June when Erdogan wrote to his counterpart and the two later spoke by telephone . On June 30 , Russia lifted a ban on tourist flights and Cavusoglu met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Russian city of Sochi on July 1 .
Although Snowden considered making the trip , in the end he decided against it because it was unclear whether he would be arrested or extradited to the United States . Merkel 's ruling coalition had also voiced concerns that such an invitation could damage relations with Washington . In October last year , the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on EU governments to protect Snowden from prosecution and extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite. However , as the resolution is non - binding , EU states are under no legal obligation to comply . jar / kms ( AFP , Reuters )
“ In fact , there have been reports that Secretary Clinton ’s emails were , indeed , hacked successfully by foreigners . The Romanian hacker who goes by the name Guccifer claimed earlier this month that he had repeatedly hacked her email server . He described the server as ‘ like an open orchid on the Internet ’ and that ‘ it was easy … easy for me , for everybody . ’ Guccifer has been extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditefrom Romania and is now in jail in Alexandria , Virginia , where the FBI is said to be questioning him on the emails . There have also been credible claims that Russian intelligence and other foreign services were able to hack the Secretary ’s server . ” It is currently unknown , at least to the public , who else may have seen the emails .
Assange 's decision – and it was a decision – to elide his Swedish case with any possible US prosecution was a cynical one . It led many to support his cause alongside those of Chelsea Manning or Edward Snowden . And yet it is more difficult , not easier , to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeAssange to the US from Sweden than from the UK , should Washington even wish to do so . Assange coming to believe his own spin may be what 's been behind six years of effective imprisonment for him . No one is keeping him in the Ecuadorian embassy – where he has fallen out with his hosts – but himself , and a fear of losing face .
Swedish police issued an arrest warrant so that Assange could answer to allegations of rape and several less severe sexual crimes . He disputes that he committed rape , and the time to prosecute Assange in connection with the other allegations has now expired under Swedish statutes of limitations . Assange has characterized the investigation as part of a broader conspiracy on the part of the U.S. government to incarcerate him , extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditehim , and have him killed in prison—“Jack Ruby style , ” as he put it to the Guardian . A former WikiLeaks employee suggests that this scenario is a fantasy . “ The way he is selling the situation is completely overblown , ” says Daniel Domscheit - Berg , who worked at WikiLeaks for three years and later wrote a tell - all book about the organization , Inside WikiLeaks .
“ For me , it was easy , ” the hacker , whose given name is Marcel Lehel Lazar , exclusively told Fox News ; “ easy for me , for everybody . ” If Guccifer and Napolitano are right , Russia may , indeed , have possession of highly - sensitive information courtesy of Clinton ’s arrogant failure to adhere to the obligation to use a government email account during her tenure as secretary — a situation worsened by the now - mendacious claim no sensitive information had been sent through the personal account . In fact , if Guccifer is to be believed — as his extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeby the U.S. indicates — news of the Kremlin having obtained potentially top - secret material may be the tip of a gargantuan iceberg . Using a readily available program , the Romanian hacker also claimed he observed “ up to 10 , like , IPs from other parts of the world ” during sessions on Clinton ’s personal server . If just one of those unknown parties was connected to Russia , who the other nine might be could be central to the FBI ’s decision whether or not to charge Clinton for mishandling classified information .
Further , it was through Lazar ’s hack of Blumenthal ’s account that Clinton ’s personal account was first revealed . During an April 29 phone call with Fox News , Lazar said he wanted to work with the U.S. government . " I was always showing that I want to cooperate … like two years [ ago ] when I met with the American authorities , ” he said , adding that he showed he wanted to “ cooperate and talk to the FBI agents ” during the plane journey to the U.S. when he was extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite. Though Lazar had agreed to meet again with Fox News the week of May 16 , an official at the detention center in Alexandria , Va. , where he ’s being held , later informed Fox News Lazar was no longer taking visitors at this time . A former Justice Department official , who declined to speak on the record due to the sensitivity of the FBI investigation , said it is not usual for defense attorneys to advise their clients to cut contact with the media as a plea agreement is finalized – as any discrepancies between the agreement and comments to the media can diminish the value of a client ’s statement .
Britain should withdraw from the European convention on human rights regardless of the EU referendum result , Theresa May has said , in comments that contradict ministers within her own government . The shadow justice secretary , Charles Falconer , said he was appalled by the home secretary ’s comments , which he described as “ so ignorant , so illiberal , so misguided ” , while the Tory MP and former attorney general Dominic Grieve said he was disappointed by the intervention . May used a speech in central London to argue that it was the convention , rather than the EU , that had caused the extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeof extremist Abu Hamza to be delayed for years and that had almost stopped the deportation of Abu Qatada . “ The ECHR can bind the hands of parliament , adds nothing to our prosperity , makes us less secure by preventing the deportation of dangerous foreign nationals – and does nothing to change the attitudes of governments like Russia ’s when it comes to human rights , ” she said . Theresa May shows Michael Gove to the other exit on the right Read more
German Chancellor Angela Merkel became the latest Western leader on Thursday to urge restraint , while underlining Turkey 's need to take action against the rebels . " In a constitutional state - and this is what worries me and what I am following closely - the principle of proportionality must be ensured by all , " she told a news conference in Berlin . Cavusoglu told broadcaster CNN Turk that some prosecutors with links to Gulen had fled to Germany and he urged Berlin to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditethem . He also said he saw " positive change " in the attitude of the United States towards Ankara 's request to extradite Gulen to Turkey . Even before the failed coup , Turkey was struggling with major security challenges including attacks by Kurdish militants and Islamic State , a grim reality underscored by tourism data on Thursday showing a 40 percent fall in foreign visitors in June .
He has also accused Erdogan of using the coup to amass greater powers . “ POLITICAL DECISION ” “ Whether the U.S. extraditesjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeGulen or not this will be a political decision , ” Bozdag said . “ If he is not extradited , Turkey will have been sacrificed for a terrorist . ” A recent opinion poll showed two thirds of Turks agree with their president that Gulen was behind the coup plot .
The Norwegian branch of the PEN Club has invited Snowden to Oslo on November 18 to collect the Ossietzky prize , which celebrates " outstanding efforts for freedom of expression . " But the former US intelligence contractor - turned - whistleblower who has lived in Russia since making landmark disclosures on mass surveillance in 2013 faces charges in the US of theft of state secrets and espionage that carry up to 30 years in prison . The Borgarting Court of Appeal said it could not rule on the Snowden petition asking for guarantees as there is no formal extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditerequest and Snowden is not in Norway . The decision mirrored arguments made by a lower court in June . Norway 's PEN Club said it would appeal .
AFP PHOTO Chris KLEPONIS ( Photo credit should read CHRIS KLEPONIS / AFP / Getty Images ) AUCKLAND , NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 01 : The United States Secretary of State , The Honourable Madeleine Albright , Hongi 's ( traditional Maori greeting ) with Ngati Whatua 's ( people of the land ) Eriapa Uruamo during her welcome to New Zealand at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on Saturday , August 1 , 1998 . ( Photo by Phil Walter / Getty Images ) French President Jacques Chirac ( L ) kisses US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright 's hand as he greets her 10 December before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris . Albright is later to sign a treaty boosting cooperation between France and the United States on legal matters including extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite, French and US officials announced . ( Photo credit should read GERARD FOUET / AFP / GettyImages ) WASHINGTON , : US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright points to a globe during her testimony 10 February to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington , DC . Albright testified about the State Department budget and other issues .
Denmark has publicly acknowledged for the first time that in June 2013 a US plane was waiting in a Copenhagen airport to extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeNSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to the US . At the time he was stranded in a Moscow airport . The allegations of Denmark ’s complicity in the plan resurfaced last week after the news that website Denfri had published documents disclosed under a freedom of information request pointing to such a connection .
We also do not approve of attacking the moderate opposition in Syria . We are also against the siege of Aleppo . ” Turning to the coup attempt , Cavusoglu said Turkey had no intelligence on the possibility of Gulen fleeing to another country , such as Egypt , in the face of a potential U.S. extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite. “ We see the efforts of Egypt in trying to increase its relations with FETO and vice versa but there is no concrete information about Gulen going to Egypt , ” he said . He added that Gulen - linked schools in Libya had been closed down .
After Lazar was flown to the U.S. on March 31 , U.S. government officials confirmed that federal agents from three agencies previously met with Lazar in Romania where he was serving a seven - year sentence for breaching the accounts of Romanian officials . Two independent sources also confirmed in recent weeks that Lazar spoke at length to an FBI agent during his extradition flight from Romanian to Virginia . Asked why he agreed to be extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditewhen he faces the possibility of more than five decades in an American prison , Lazar said , " It was not my call . " Then Lazar claimed that his extradition agreement contains conditions that block further charges . While the claim can not be independently verified , the statement could help explain why Lazar felt comfortable discussing his supposed hacking of the Clinton server – which was not mentioned in the nine - count federal indictment .
The detained Frenchman had spoken against mass immigration , the spread of Islam and globalization , Hrytsak said , and talked of plans to carry out 15 attacks on Jewish and Muslim places of worship as well as government buildings during the Euro tournament that runs for a month until July 10 . However , in a sign that French officials doubt terrorism as a motive , the case has been handed to Pison 's office and the organized crime brigade rather than to the national anti - terrorism unit in the Paris prosecutor 's office . Asked if France would demand the man 's extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extradite, Pison said : " We 're not at that point yet . " FAR - RIGHT TIES ? Neighbors in the village of Nant - Le - Petit in eastern France described the suspect as a hard - working , courteous young man who often kept to himself .
UN Ruling On Assange Guardian , Julian Assange is in arbitrary detention , UN panel finds , Esther Addley , Owen Bowcott , Jessica Elgot , Paul Farrell , and David Crouch , Feb. 4 , 2016 . A United Nations panel has decided that Julian Assange ’s three - and - a - half years in the Ecuadorian embassy amount to “ arbitrary detention , ” leading his lawyers to call for the Swedish extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditerequest to be dropped immediately . A Swedish foreign ministry spokeswoman confirmed that the UN panel , due to publish its findings on Friday , had concluded that Assange was “ arbitrarily detained . ” The WikiLeaks founder sought asylum from Ecuador in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations , which he denies . Martin Fredriksson
Hillary Clinton ’s FBI investigation may have just moved one step closer to an indictment for the Democratic front - runner , with experts saying the extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeof a Romanian hacker who revealed her unsecured email server could spell deep trouble for Clinton ’s presidential campaign . Last week , U.S. officials moved to extradite the hacker known as “ Guccifer , ’ who is accused of accessing the email of Clinton adviser Sidney Blumenthal . It was that hack which brought to light Clinton ’s use of a personal email during her time as secretary of state , reports claim .
To the naked eye , that looked a lot like a very deliberate attempt to shift an unflattering spotlight away from Trump . Why would Assange want to do that ? Some speculate that Assange , who has said he fears the death penalty were he ever to be extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto the US , hopes he would be treated leniently by a Trump administration . Others suspect the heart of the matter is the Russian connection : Assange , like Trump , seems strikingly comfortable with Putin . A former host of a talk show on Putin ’s propaganda channel , Russia Today , Assange once requested his own private security detail within the Ecuadorian embassy , nominating Russians for the task .
" Those are extremely interesting . We will see what will come of them . " Assange spoke from the Ecuadorian embassy in London , where he faces extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeover sexual assault allegations .
In back - to - back interviews with Fox News , Wikileaks founder Julian Assange criticized the U.S. media for " incredible politicization " in its coverage of the presidential election , and vowed there are more shoes to drop before the Nov. 8 vote . Assange appeared Friday morning on " Fox & Friends , " where he said " significant " information would be published on the site regarding Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton , but did not specify what it would be . " I know you guys would love it if we scooped ourselves on ' Fox & Friends , ' but we ’re not going to do that , ” Assange said from the Ecuadorean embassy in London , where he has lived for nearly five years as he fights extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto Sweden where he is wanted on charges relating to sexual assault that his supporters say are politically driven . Assange said information regarding Clinton 's health is fair game , and noted that in an email already disclosed by the organization , Clinton refers to her own " cracked head . " He said he had information about GOP nominee Donald Trump as well , but indicated it may not be as revelatory as critics might hope .
A Russian foreign ministry statement said Finland decided " a few days ago " to extradite both men . " We maintain our principled view that the practice of detaining Russian citizens following US requests to third countries all over the world is a legal abuse and violation of internationally recognised proceedings , " it said . " We confirm our categorical objections to the extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeof the Russians to the USA . We hope that the Finnish authorities will take into account our position , which has been repeatedly explained to them . " Finland , however , argues that its Justice Ministry 's decision to deport Mr Senakh can not be appealed against because the High Court decided in December to endorse his extradition .
Julian Paul Assange , 45 , is an Australian computer programmer , publisher and journalist . He is editor - in - chief of WikiLeaks , which he founded in 2006 . On November 2010 , Assange was requested to be extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto Sweden , where he is wanted for questioning concerning an allegation of rape . Assange denied the allegation and has expressed concern that he would be extradited from Sweden to the United States due to his perceived role in publishing secret American documents . After exhausting his legal options in the United Kingdom , Assange did not surrender for extradition .
The internet is one of the few , if not only , available ways for Julian Assange , who has been locked up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for more than four years , to maintain contact with the outside world . READ MORE : WikiLeaks cancels Assange ’s live balcony appearance over ‘ security concerns ’ Facing extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto Sweden over allegations of rape , which he denies , the Australian computer programmer has been holed up in the embassy in West London since 2012 . He claims the extradition is actually a bid to move him to a jurisdiction from which he can then be sent to the US , which is known to be actively investigating WikiLeaks . The unverified claims of state sabotage come as WikiLeaks continues to release damaging documents , most recently thousands of hacked emails from Hillary Clinton ’s campaign manager John Podesta .
The hacked DNC emails , which included some that disparaged Hillary Clinton 's opponent , Bernie Sanders , were released by the organization called WikiLeaks on the eve of the Democratic National Convention and forced the resignation of national committee chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz . WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he intended to harm Hillary Clinton 's campaign with the release . Assange , who has lived for years in Ecuador 's embassy in London , avoiding extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto Sweden on charges of sexual misconduct , said that " no one knows who our source is . " The one source mentioned most often by Clinton aides , pundits including conservative George Will , and U.S. intelligence services , is the Russian government led by Vladimir Putin . ( The best evidence for the link was discovered by a British professor who revealed it earlier this month . )
Assange has been living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London since August 2012 , when he was granted political asylum . The United Kingdom has said that if Assange were to leave the embassy , he would be extradited to Sweden , where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault . Assange refuses to go to Sweden in fear of then being extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto the U.S. In February , the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention pronounced that Assange has been subject to arbitrary detention in England .
While the claim can not be independently verified , the statement could help explain why Lazar felt comfortable discussing his supposed hacking of the Clinton server – which was not mentioned in the nine - count federal indictment . During an interview Sunday on NBC ’s “ Meet the Press , ” Clinton was not asked about the FBI investigation or claims the server was hacked , but her campaign said in early May : " There is absolutely no basis to believe the claims made by this criminal from his prison cell . … We have received no indication from any government agency to support these claims , nor are they reflected in the range of charges that Guccifer already faces and that prompted his extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditein the first place . ” A review of her emails found more than 2,100 containing classified information – though she claims nothing was considered classified at the time . Catherine Herridge is an award - winning Chief Intelligence correspondent for FOX News Channel ( FNC ) based in Washington , D.C. She covers intelligence , the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security .
New York Times , WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Denies Rape in Detailed Account of Encounter , Dan Bilefsky , Dec. 7 , 2016 . Julian Assange , the WikiLeaks founder , offered his most detailed and public account on Wednesday of events that led to a rape accusation against him in Sweden , saying he was innocent and had engaged in “ consensual and enjoyable sex ” with the accuser . Last month , questions prepared by Swedish prosecutors were posed to Mr. Assange at the Ecuadorean Embassy , where he has been living since 2012 to avoid extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto Sweden over the rape accusation . The questions were asked by an Ecuadorean prosecutor under an agreement made by the two countries in August . But in a move that is likely to irk Swedish prosecutors , whom Mr. Assange has denounced for forcing him to remain confined in the embassy for the past six years , the WikiLeaks founder on Wednesday released the answers he gave during the interview .
Indeed , if recent reports published largely ( though not exclusively ) by right - wing news media have any credibility , the controversy is about to re - erupt with redoubled fury . Some on the right are even predicting that Clinton will soon be indicted . The reason for the right ’s breathless anticipation of Clinton ’s demise is that the mysterious , eccentric and paranoid Romanian computer hacker who broke the email story back in 2013 was extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto the United States last month pursuant to federal felony charges filed against him in 2014 . The theory is that prosecutors will squeeze the hacker for incriminating evidence against Clinton . A trial date in the hacker ’s case has been set for September , smack dab in the middle of the general election campaign , in federal district court in Alexandria , Va.
Assange sought refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in June 2012 after the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom denied his application to reconsider his appeal of an earlier decision by that court . The case brought before the Supreme Court of the U.K. concerned whether a European Arrest Warrant ( EAW ) issued by Sweden for Julian Assange was valid . In its ruling of May 30 , 2012 , the seven - member panel of judges held that the EAW was valid , and as a result Assange now may be extraditedjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeto Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault . The events that led to Assange ’s initial arrest ( without charge or due process ) are well known . In late July 2010 , WikiLeaks released the so - called Afghan War Diary .
WikiLeaks canceled a scheduled Tuesday announcement regarding information related to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton , according to an MSNBC reporter . The organization ’s founder , Julian Assange , was scheduled to make the mysterious announcement from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London , where he is currently holed up to avoid extraditionjustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeover rape allegations . WikiLeaks canceled the event “ due to security concerns , ” according to MSNBC ’s Jesse Rodriguez . He did not elaborate on the nature of the concerns , but later tweeted that Assange will appear via video at a Berlin press conference Tuesday morning .
" U.S. authorities have already asked that Snowden will be extradited to the U.S. if he was to arrive in Norway , " Hallvard Helle , the lawyer representing Snowden , told Reuters . Related : Information Wants to Be Free : Famous Leaks Through the Ages " It is a case they ( the Norwegian authorities ) have not wished to comment on previously , so therefore we want a legal clarification of this , " Helle said , when asked whether Norway had said it would extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeSnowden if he entered the country . The Norwegian justice ministry was not immediately able to comment . Supporters see Snowden as a whistleblower who boldly exposed government excess .
So it would provide nearby air bases including Incirlik , which is already used by the United States and other countries for anti - Islamic State operations . Sill , it ’s unclear whether Turkey still holds to its pro - no - fly - zone positions . Following the failed coup in July , U.S .- Turkish relations have suffered a downturn as Ankara demands that Washington extraditejustice.judicialconsequences.extraditeIslamic cleric Fethullah Gulen , who it accuses of orchestrating the coup . Meanwhile , Turkey has drawn closer to Russia , with two recent meetings between presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin . The administration would also seek to include Arab members in a no - fly - zone coalition , mainly to bolster legitimacy .