Former Spanish judge to defend Assange
July 25th, 2012 - 1:59 pm ICT by IANSMexico City, July 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Former Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon will head the defence team of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Ecuadorian media reported.
Garzon, 56, who worked on cases concerning Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, has met Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, WikiLeaks said in a statement.
Assange has been staying at the embassy for more than a month to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces charges of rape that he terms politically motivated.
Assange’s whistleblowing website WikiLeaks leaked thousands of US diplomatic cables in 2010. The US authorities have not ruled out requesting his extradition from Sweden.
Assange has requested asylum in Ecuador, whose President Rafael Correa is still considering the request.
Garzon made a name for himself as a judge presiding over several high-profile political cases, including that of Pinochet, as well as attempting to investigate crimes of the Francisco Franco regime in Spain (1936-75). He was disqualified from judicial activity in Spain for 11 years in February for illegal wiretapping.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
pm/vt
- Britain threatening to take Assange by force: Ecuador - Aug 16, 2012
- Julian Assange's mom in Ecuador to seek son's asylum - Jul 29, 2012
- Assange granted asylum for fear of US: Ecuador envoy - Aug 17, 2012
- Ecuador refuses to extradite Belarus cop - Aug 30, 2012
- Assange gets asylum in Ecuador (Lead, Changing dateline) - Aug 16, 2012
- Assange served extradition notice - Jun 29, 2012
- Ecuador yet to decide on Wikileaks founder's asylum - Aug 15, 2012
- WikiLeaks releases 2.4 mn e-mails on Syria - Jul 05, 2012
- Britain doesn't know who it is dealing with: Ecuador - Aug 19, 2012
- End witch-hunt against WikiLeaks: Assange urges US - Aug 19, 2012
- Raiding embassy for Assange will be 'suicidal', Ecuador tells UK - Aug 21, 2012
- Julian Assange trying to deflect attention: US - Aug 21, 2012
- Assange-hosted TV show to debut in Russia - Apr 13, 2012
- WikiLeaks' Assange to guest star on 'The Simpsons' - Jan 31, 2012
- South America backs Ecuador's asylum offer to Assange - Aug 20, 2012
Tags: 11 years, augusto pinochet, chilean dictator augusto pinochet, defence team, dictator augusto pinochet, ecuadorian embassy, embassy in london, extradition, francisco franco, franco regime, illegal wiretapping, judicial activity, julian assange, mexico city, president rafael correa, rafael correa, ria novosti, spanish judge, whistleblowing, wikileaks