CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Wikileaks founder and internationally exiled political whistleblower Julian Assange has today promised Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno to allow him one-off access to the internet this weekend to watch his beloved North Queensland Cowboys take on the Melbourne Storm in the 2017 NRL Grand Final.
Mr Assange has lived and worked in Ecuador’s London embassy since June 2012, having been granted asylum there after a British court ordered him extradited to Sweden to face questioning in an assault case involving two female WikiLeaks supporters.
While questions remain around the legitimacy of Sweden’s claims, Assange has spent most of his time continuing his online operations from a desk inside the diplomatic immunity at the embassy – that was until October last year.
Spokespeople from the Townsville man’s anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks says founder Julian Assange’s internet was shut down by the Government of Ecuador, deflecting blame from the US or British governments who have sparred with Mr Assange for releasing sensitive material that may have hindered Hilary Clinton’s election chances.
The WikiLeaks organisation has posted what it said were thousands of campaign chairman John Podesta’s emails late last year, which included excerpts of Mrs Clinton’s bank speeches.
However, Assange has today requested a chance at redemption and promises he won’t do any hacking or document-releasing if he’s allowed to stream the fairytale Cowboys Grand Final match against the smug Victorian franchise.
“Please please please” he said on the phone to President Moreno.
“Promise I’ll be good. Please, this is such a big deal back home. The Cowboys have made a grand final without JT. I can’t miss this”
President Moreno has asked Assange to ‘let him think about it’ and said if it does happen, lights have to be out by midnight.
