Angry Assange starts 5th year cooped in London embassy

Agence France Presse
This file photo taken on February 05, 2016 shows WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange looking out of the balcony window of the Ecuadorian embassy in central London on February 5, 2016 before addressing the media from the balcony. (AFP)

LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange started his fifth year camped out in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London on Sunday, an occasion his supporters were to mark with events celebrating whistleblowers.
Supporters said they were planning to stage songs, speeches and readings in several cities worldwide late Sunday.
Assange was due to speak to his followers on a live video stream from inside the embassy.
The 44-year-old is wanted for questioning over a 2010 rape allegation in Sweden but has been inside Ecuador’s UK mission for four full years in a bid to avoid extradition.
The anti-secrecy campaigner, who denies the allegation, walked into the embassy of his own free will on June 18, 2012, with Britain on the brink of sending him to Stockholm, and has not left since.
His lawyers say he is angry that Swedish prosecutors are still maintaining the European arrest warrant against him.
The Australian former computer hacker fears that from Sweden he could be extradited to the United States over WikiLeaks’ release of 500,000 secret military files, and could face a long prison sentence there.
WikiLeaks said events were planned for Athens, Belgrade, Berlin, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Milan, Montevideo, Naples, New York, Quito, Paris and Sarajevo.
Listed participants in Sunday’s anniversary events include Patti Smith, Brian Eno, PJ Harvey, Noam Chomsky, Yanis Varoufakis, Ai Weiwei, Vivienne Westwood, Michael Moore and Ken Loach.
Croatian philosopher Srecko Horvat, an event organizer, said: “We live in a critical time. We are gathering all around the world on June 19 to speak out for Julian, because he has spoken out for all of us.”
Veteran leftist film-maker Loach said: “He should be able to leave his place of safety without fear of deportation or being handed over to those who intend him harm.”