UN rights experts condemn Assange arrest

GENEVA — UN human rights experts rallied to Julian Assange on Thursday, criticizing Ecuador and Britain over his arrest and warning of grave consequences should he be extradited to the United States.

British police, acting on behalf of Washington, arrested the WikiLeaks founder at Ecuador's embassy in London after Quito terminated the diplomatic protection he had held for nearly seven years.

The United Nations special rapporteur on arbitrary, summary or extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, told AFP that Ecuador's decision "has exposed Mr. Assange to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights."

She noted that those risks stemmed from the increased likelihood of Assange being extradited to the US, where he could be tried over the publication of classified US defence material.

Separately, the UN rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joe Cannataci, said he would not change his previously announced intention to meet Assange later this month or to investigate his claims that his privacy had been violated.


The arrest merely means that "instead of visiting Mr. Assange and speaking to him at the Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador in London, I will visit him and speak to him in a police station or elsewhere in the UK where he may be held in custody," Cannataci said in a statement.

The rights expert said that if Assange is sent to the US, he will redirect his request for access to Washington.

Assange's supporters earlier this week accused Ecuador's authorities of gathering thousands of photographs and videos from inside his apartment at the embassy.

Cannataci said that prior to the arrest he was in contact with Assange's legal team concerning "significant new evidence of violations of Mr. Assange's privacy," and planned further investigations of any possible privacy breaches.

UN special rapporteurs are independent experts who not speak for the world body or UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, did not immediately respond when asked to comment on the arrest.

source: philstar.com

Iran says verdict issued on Washington Post reporter

TEHRAN - A verdict has been issued in the trial in Iran of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, the country's judiciary said Sunday, without detailing the judgment but hinting at a conviction.

Rezaian, the US newspaper's Tehran correspondent, was arrested in July 2014 and accused of spying and other crimes against national security.

He is a dual Iranian-American citizen and was tried in four hearings behind closed doors, the last of which was held in August.

"The verdict for this case has been issued," Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie, the judiciary's spokesman and deputy chief, was quoted as saying on its official website.

"This verdict can be appealed," he said, suggesting Rezaian had been found guilty.

Ejeie added: "The time for an appeal is not yet over. So the court waits and if it doesn't receive an appeal... the verdict becomes final."

An announcer on state television later quoted Ejeie as saying Rezaian had been "convicted" but no footage of the spokesman making such a remark was aired.

The 39-year-old reporter's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

The treatment and trial of the journalist has drawn condemnation from his family, employer, the US government and press freedom groups.

The Post has called the trial a "sick brew of farce and tragedy" and said it "has been anything but transparent and just".

On Sunday, the US State Department said it was closely monitoring Rezaian's fate and again called for him to be freed.

"We've seen the news reports concerning a verdict in the case of US citizen Jason Rezaian, but have not yet seen any official confirmation or details of a specific verdict from Iranian authorities," said spokesman John Kirby.

"We continue to call for all charges against Jason to be dropped and for him to be immediately released."

Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron said that "this vague and puzzling statement" from the Iranian judiciary "only adds to the injustice" surrounding Rezaian's case.

"It is not clear whether this ruling includes a verdict or a sentence — or even whether its contents have been communicated to Jason or his lawyer," he said.

"If indeed a ruling has been issued and is now being reviewed, this puts on the onus on Iran’s senior leaders to demonstrate the fairness and justice that could only lead to Jason’s exoneration and release," said Baron.

source: interaksyon.com