WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange last week offered to submit himself to extradition to the United States in return for clemency for whistleblower Chelsea Manning. After President Obama commuted Manning’s sentence yesterday, Assange’s status became the next obvious question.
Assange, however, is also conditioning his willingness to go to the United States on having his rights under US law guaranteed in any potential legal trial, a huge if given recent US reactions to whistleblowers and the number of officials who have called for his death.
Assange representatives are also arguing that the commuted sentence is short of clemency, particularly since Manning isn’t actually being released yet, though the biggest question mark on the whole issue is that the US hasn’t publicly charged Assange with anything, not publicly requested his extradition at all.
Justice Department officials are regularly hinting at investigations and other moves against Assange, and there is some reason to believe there may be a secret indictment on the books just waiting for Assange to be some place that the US can get ahold of him.
For the time being, however, it seems safe to assume Assange will remain in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, and probably isn’t going to impact ongoing efforts by Sweden to extradite him for questioning.
Please correct me if I am wrong. The moment Assange is on US territory he is just as much protected by our constitution as every US citizen. He may ask for more but is not entitled to get it.
“…just as much protected by our constitution as every US citizen”
And just how much is that these days?
I am only stating the principle which is often denied. How much of that principle is still alive is another matter.
He’s not asking for “more” just what we are supposed to get — but often don’t.
I was born here and MY rights are NOT guaranteed by the piece of paper or laws the Congress and virtually every elected and non-elected employee of the government consistently ignore. He should not take any promises from any government employee as worth anything.
US government and courts always claim they protect rights.
Of course they don’t. That is the source of most of our Constitutional law, efforts to define the absolute minimum of rights that must be granted despite the best efforts to deny that by the government and lower courts.
That the government has actually discussed murder of Assange is just the tip of the iceberg, or less.
He and his lawyers should also determine what conditions have been placed on Manning’s commutation. Does it require Manning to “cooperate” in the prosecution of others? Can it be revoked if Manning does not “cooperate?” Who determines what is acceptable “cooperation?” Can Manning be coerced into perjury?