Ecuador cuts off Julian Assange’s internet in London embassy because he tweeted about Russian ex-spy’s poisoning
Assange had disputed Britain’s claim that Russia was behind the attack, breaching his agreement not to interfere with other nations, Ecuador said
Julian Assange’s contact with the outside world was cut off on Wednesday after the Ecuadorean embassy in which he is staying decided that he had breached the terms of his stay by commenting on the UK-Russia dispute over a poisoned ex-spy.
Ecuador said that the WikiLeaks founder - who has been holed up in its London embassy since 2012 - had broken a 2017 agreement by disputing the UK’s claim that Russia poisoned former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter on March 4.
Assange also questioned the decision by Britain and more than 20 countries to retaliate against the poisoning by expelling Russian diplomats they had deemed spies.
The comments prompted a British Foreign Office minister, Alan Duncan, to brand Assange a “miserable little worm” who should leave the embassy to turn himself over to British authorities.
Assange, 46, has spent much of his time in his small room in the embassy tweeting and at times contributing to RT, a Russian state-owned television channel that broadcasts Kremlin messaging, as well as taking part in media conferences via video link.
