The Ecuador embassy has reportedly cut internet access to WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange following the release of Hillary Clinton’s Goldman Sachs transcripts. Assange reportedly was cut off on Saturday, October 15, 2016, shortly after the publication of the Clinton transcripts. WikiLeaks reports that the organization is activating its “contingency plans” following the news and will continue to release the Podesta emails. The group has suggested that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry asked Ecuador to stop Assange from publishing the emails during an FARC peace negotiation, threatening repercussions if they didn’t silence Assange.
#wikileaks : Assange’s internet link has been intentionally severed by a state party https://t.co/octsMsvX5z
— RT (@RT_com) October 17, 2016
WikiLeaks took to Twitter this week to verify claims regarding founder Julian Assange. The organization noted that Assange had been cut off from the internet by the Ecuadorian embassy. However, despite Assange’s purported absence, WikiLeaks says the leaks will continue as planned as “contingency plans” have been put into place to ensure that the Podesta emails continue to be released on schedule.
Julian Assange’s internet link has been intentionally severed by a state party. We have activated the appropriate contingency plans.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 17, 2016
We can confirm Ecuador cut off Assange’s internet access Saturday, 5pm GMT, shortly after publication of Clinton’s Goldman Sachs speechs.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 17, 2016
Since Assange has been taken out of the picture, as promised, WikiLeaks has continued to release new Podesta emails to their website. The eleventh part of the series was released today, three days after Assange had his internet taken away.
RELEASE: The Podesta Emails Part 11 https://t.co/wzxeh70oUm #HillaryClinton #imWithHer #PodestaEmails #PodestaEmails11 pic.twitter.com/jufiR7stMZ
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 18, 2016
In addition to blaming Ecuador for cutting Assange’s internet access, WikiLeaks has also implied that the internet issue may be the result of pressure from the United States, specifically U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The organization posted a series of tweets about John Kerry’s “private” meetings with Ecuador while at the FARC peace negotiations. The group implied that Kerry may have been pressuring Ecuador to stop Assange from releasing more of Clinton and Clinton campaigners’ emails.
BREAKING: Multiple US sources tell us John Kerry asked Ecuador to stop Assange from publishing Clinton docs during FARC peace negotiations.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 18, 2016
The John Kerry private meeting with Ecuador was made on the sidelines of the negotiations which took place pricipally on Sep 26 in Colombia.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 18, 2016
According to Breitbart , the State Department denies these claims , saying Kerry did not hold private meetings regarding Assange with Ecuador at the FARC. The department says they had no part in “shutting down” WikiLeaks but noted their “longstanding” concerns with the group.
. @StateDept @statedeptspox John Kirby denies that @JohnKerry leaned on Ecuador to cut off Julian Assange’s internet access pic.twitter.com/YG36ym8ovf
— Ernesto Londoño (@londonoe) October 18, 2016
RT reports that it isn’t just Assange that the government is trying to silence. It was noted that more than a dozen WikiLeaks members had their internet and phone cut leading up to the silencing of Assange.
“More than a dozen Wikileaks members have had their Internet and phone connections cut. Only hours before, the whistleblower group’s chief Julian Assange also had his Internet severed.”
Though WikiLeaks has exposed Ecuador as the one who actually cut the internet to Assange, the government says they are still honoring Assange’s asylum in the embassy. The Telegraph says that Ecuador’s foreign minister, Guillaume Long , has confirmed Assange is still under their protection and still being granted asylum.
“The circumstances that led to the granting of asylum remain.”
What do you think about Ecuador cutting internet access to WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange following the release of Hillary Clinton’s Goldman Sachs transcripts? Do you think the United States government was involved in the access restrictions?
[Featured Image by Markus Schreiber/AP Images]
