Julian Assange told: stop using embassy to make fun of politicians
Julian Assange has been told to stop
using the Ecuadorean embassy in
London to poke fun at Australian
politicians as part of his Senate
election bid, it has been reported.
The South American nation's
president, Rafael Correa, chastised
Assange after a video appeared
online in which the WikiLeaks
founder – along with Juice Rap
News – ridiculed Tony Abbott,
Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
"We have sent him a letter: he can
campaign politically, but without
making fun of Australian
politicians. We are not going to
allow that," said Correa, who is
attending a South American
summit in the Surinamese capital
Paramarimbo.
Assange appeared wearing a
comedy wig and bandanna
emblazoned with the Australian
flag in the video. He also
performed a cover version of John
Farnham's You're the Voice .
He is one of six WikiLeaks party
candidates running for election.
The party's chances at the ballot
box were hit when Assange's
running mate in Victoria, Leslie
Cannold, resigned. She was
followed out of the door by six
other members.
Tensions between Assange and his
Ecuadorean hosts were heightened
during the Snowden affair, with
diplomats saying that they felt that
the WikiLeaks founder was trying
to steal the limelight.
According to Agence France-Presse,
Correa said: "The rules of asylum
in principle forbid meddling in the
politics of the country that grants
asylum. But as a matter of
courtesy, we are not going to bar
Julian Assange from exercising his
right to be a candidate. Just so long
as he doesn't make fun of
Australian politicians or people."
Assange took refuge in the
Ecuadorean embassy in London in
June 2012 to avoid extradition to
Sweden, where he is wanted for
questioning about sexual assault
allegations.
He fears Sweden would extradite
him to the United States, where he
believes he is wanted in relation to
WikiLeaks' disclosure of a huge
trove of classified US military and
diplomatic documents.
Chelsea Manning, the US army
private who leaked the documents
to Assange's organisation, was
sentenced to 35 years in prison by
a US military court on 21 August
