Ecuador grants Assange asylum; diplomatic row with United Kingdom intensifies

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:46:00 -0500

Julian Assange has spent nearly the last two months inside the Ecuador Embassy, in an effort to prevent his extradition from the U.K. to Sweden, where he faces a sexual assault investigation. On Thursday, Ecuador granted him political asylum, but U.K. officials say they will arrest him if he leaves the embassy.

Mark

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:26:48 -0500

Well you do not provide complete information. The president of Ecuador took to court becuase he lied in a editorial in a nespaper, saying that the "President could be taken to international court for crimes of lesa humanity for ordering forces to fire to civilians in a hospital". THen the presindent asked them to publish an apology and explain that it was a false stament. He never ordered to fire civilians, instead forces that were trying to take Correa out of the government, fired the hospital and the car in which the president was escaping from the hospital that he was kept hostage, during this escape one Correa's security guard was killed. They decided not to present the real facts neither apologized of false statements. A trusted media cannot called a citizen or a president "killer" without presenting evidence of that statement. Correa sued Emilio Palacio and El Universo as regular citizen for “defamatory libel". The court ruled against Emilio Palacio, later Correa pardon him and the newspaper. There tons of radio, newspapers, and TV channels that express their ideas and execute the freedom of speech in Ecuador. There are not media channels that have been shut down, anybody says whatever they please. So it is unfair and wrong to state in Ecuador lacks of Freedom of Speech. The proof of this?, well just go to any newspaper in Ecuador, your will see the amount of editorials that express their ideas in favor or against the government, and Correa after 5 years in the government, has 78% of public support. There are just hand full of families behind the media industry that want to control the message but still they fail to damage his image.

"Anyone can be put in prison for speaking their mind. In the western world we have a civil system that means you can be fined, but people in Ecuador can face jail for airing their opinions,"

This is so FALSE, who is in jail for expressing his/her ideas???. There is nobody in jail for expressing ideas in any channel (tc, radio, newspaper, internet, etc)
Mark

PRI: Public Radio International

Ecuador grants Assange asylum; diplomatic row with United Kingdom intensifies

Mark