Thread by @ElizabethleaVos

Escalation Of Security Presence At Ecuadorian Embassy Raises Concern After DOJ Jet Lingers In London

#Unity4J #FreeAssange #WikiLeaks

steemit.com/unity4j/@elizb…

In just a few days, it will have been a full year since WikiLeaks's Julian Assange was severed from contact with the outside world.

"Concerns were heightened after a US #DOJ jet previously used for the rendition of an accused #Russian hacker landed in London on Tuesday, and remained there for days, only to return to the US on Saturday. The flight reportedly departed initially from Manassas, Virginia." #Auspol

Julian Assange's Twitter account, currently run by members of his legal team, (@DefendAssange) Tweeted:

"Note that the Edward Snowden DoJ grab team plane N977GA also departed from Manassas, Virginia."

WikiLeaks also tweeted:

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/1108818904502226945

In response to the news, Christine Assange wrote:

https://twitter.com/AssangeMrs/status/1108970069436981252

"While the jet remained in London, #WikiLeaks reported the statements of Assange's lawyers, who described an increase in the presence of plainclothes British police officers on the ground surrounding Ecuador's London embassy."

The DOJ jet arrived in London on March 19 - the same day that Twitter imposed a restriction on the account of Christine Assange (@AssangeMrs) which would last for more than 24 hours, followed by the placement of an identical restriction on the Twitter account of @telesurenglish.

Telesur English is a rare beacon of accurate reportage about Latin America for an English-speaking audience. The restriction, and the subsequent lifting of the measure, was never explained in either case by the social media website.

That the voices of advocates & journalists who have consistently reported on Julian Assange would be censored in rapid succession is cause enough for concern. That these inexplicable restrictions coincided with of the arrival of the DOJ jet adds to a growing sense of urgency.

Though the jet in question departed from the UK earlier today, Met police have been photographed outside the Ecuadorian embassy in addition to the plainclothes police described earlier this week by #Assange's lawyers.

https://twitter.com/greekemmy/status/1109479610364952576

In light of these latest developments, inevitable questions arise: were the US and UK essentially on standby to fast-track the extradition of #JulianAssange within a shrinking window of opportunity?

#Unity4J #FreeAssange #WikiLeaks #FreePress #Auspol

Rendition Plane, Increased Police Presence Raise Fears for #Assange

consortiumnews.com/2019/03/24/ren…