The Londoner: Julian Assange closer to a journey home

[Zippyjuan]

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/lon...ssange-closer-to-a-journey-home-a4073916.html

He has been re-issued an Australian passport. Is he now a dual citizen? Ecuador had granted him citizenship.

Staff at the Ecuadorian Embassy have cause for celebration today with the news that they may finally be rid of their long-term house guest Julian Assange.

The Australian government has confirmed that the WikiLeaks founder has a new Australian passport after years without one, and could now return to his home country.

An official at Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade confirmed yesterday that “Mr Assange does have an Australian passport”. The timing is good: last year he said that he feared Ecuador was seeking to end his asylum. He has been holed up in the embassy in Knightsbridge since the day he walked in, breaking his UK bail conditions, in 2012.

The Londoner called the embassy this morning and asked for a response to the news of the new passport. A member of staff initially said “no comment” but then added: “He has the right to do whatever he wants, but he doesn’t move on. He could stay here for ever.”

Assange’s passport had been held up by wrangling over whether it could be issued to him given that a warrant is still out for his arrest in the UK.

His UK lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, reportedly applied for a fresh passport halfway through last year.

Greg Barns, Assange’s Australian lawyer, gave credit to former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop for her role in securing the new document.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Barns thought she had “gone to great lengths to ensure Mr Assange’s rights as an Australian citizen were upheld by being granted a passport”.

 

[Todd]

If you follow this closely his health is being seriously effected by being holed up for so long.