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| Julian Assange 'told Edward Snowden not to seek asylum in Latin America' | Julian Assange 'told Edward Snowden not to seek asylum in Latin America' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Julian Assange has said he advised the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden against seeking asylum in Latin America because there he could have been kidnapped and possibly killed. | Julian Assange has said he advised the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden against seeking asylum in Latin America because there he could have been kidnapped and possibly killed. |
| The WikiLeaks editor-in-chief said he told Snowden to ignore concerns about the “negative PR consequences” of sheltering in Russia because it was one of the few places in the world where the CIA’s influence did not reach. | The WikiLeaks editor-in-chief said he told Snowden to ignore concerns about the “negative PR consequences” of sheltering in Russia because it was one of the few places in the world where the CIA’s influence did not reach. |
| In a wide-ranging interview with the Times, Assange also said he feared he would be assassinated if he was ever able to leave the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he sought asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition. | In a wide-ranging interview with the Times, Assange also said he feared he would be assassinated if he was ever able to leave the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he sought asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition. |
| He accused US officials of breaking the law in their pursuit of him and his whistleblowing organisation, and in subjecting his connections to a campaign of harassment. | He accused US officials of breaking the law in their pursuit of him and his whistleblowing organisation, and in subjecting his connections to a campaign of harassment. |
| WikiLeaks was intimately involved in the operation to help Snowden evade the US authorities in 2013 after he leaked his cache of intelligence documents to Glenn Greenwald, then a journalist with the Guardian. | WikiLeaks was intimately involved in the operation to help Snowden evade the US authorities in 2013 after he leaked his cache of intelligence documents to Glenn Greenwald, then a journalist with the Guardian. |
| Assange sent one of his most senior staff members, Sarah Harrison, to be at Snowden’s side in Hong Kong, and helped to engineer his escape to Russia – despite his discomfort with the idea of fleeing to one of the US’s most powerful enemies. | |
| “Snowden was well aware of the spin that would be put on it if he took asylum in Russia,” Assange told the Times. | “Snowden was well aware of the spin that would be put on it if he took asylum in Russia,” Assange told the Times. |
| “He preferred Latin America, but my advice was that he should take asylum in Russia despite the negative PR consequences, because my assessment is that he had a significant risk he could be kidnapped from Latin America on CIA orders. Kidnapped or possibly killed.” | “He preferred Latin America, but my advice was that he should take asylum in Russia despite the negative PR consequences, because my assessment is that he had a significant risk he could be kidnapped from Latin America on CIA orders. Kidnapped or possibly killed.” |
| Assange also outlined his own fears of being targeted. He said that even venturing out on to the balcony of Ecuador’s embassy in Knightsbridge posed security risks in the light of bomb and assassination threats by what he called “unstable people”. | Assange also outlined his own fears of being targeted. He said that even venturing out on to the balcony of Ecuador’s embassy in Knightsbridge posed security risks in the light of bomb and assassination threats by what he called “unstable people”. |
| He said he thought it was unlikely he would be shot, but that he worried that if he was freed he could be kidnapped by the CIA. | He said he thought it was unlikely he would be shot, but that he worried that if he was freed he could be kidnapped by the CIA. |
| “I’m a white guy,” Assange said. “Unless I convert to Islam it’s not that likely that I’ll be droned, but we have seen things creeping towards that.” | “I’m a white guy,” Assange said. “Unless I convert to Islam it’s not that likely that I’ll be droned, but we have seen things creeping towards that.” |
| Ecuador granted the Australian political asylum in 2012 under the 1951 refugee convention. | Ecuador granted the Australian political asylum in 2012 under the 1951 refugee convention. |
| He believed he risked extradition to the US from the UK and Sweden, where he is under investigation for his involvement with WikiLeaks. He also faces extradition to Sweden for an investigation into an alleged rape. | He believed he risked extradition to the US from the UK and Sweden, where he is under investigation for his involvement with WikiLeaks. He also faces extradition to Sweden for an investigation into an alleged rape. |
| He has remained in the embassy for nearly three years, with a round-the-clock police guard thought to have cost more than £11m. Assange believes his situation will be resolved in the next two years. | He has remained in the embassy for nearly three years, with a round-the-clock police guard thought to have cost more than £11m. Assange believes his situation will be resolved in the next two years. |