Julian Assange Pulls a Chen Guangcheng, Asks Ecuador Embassy for Asylum

Held under house arrest but celebrated as a truth teller, Julian Assange followed the lead of Chen Guangcheng today as he sought political asylum in Ecuador's embassy in London. Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino said the country is weighing Assange's request, which comes after Britain's Supreme Court rejected Assange's latest appeal, the Associated Press reports. (Patino did not say when Assange's request was received by the embassy and didn't answer questions following the statement). It seems running off to foreign embassies is the latest craze in circumventing a country's traditional legal system. 

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Far from as universally-celebrated as his Chinese counterpart (Assange is after all wanted for questioning in Sweden after two women accused him of rape), the daring move certainly ups the ante in his bid to free him self from Sweden, a move his supporters say is designed to transfer him to the U.S. for prosecution. As it stand's Assang's latest appeal was his last option in British courts, reports CNN. "Britain's Crown Prosecution Service has previously said if the court dismissed Assange's appeal, his only further remedy is to apply immediately to the European Court of Human Rights, and Assange's attorneys have vowed to do so." Still, such an appeal would have slim chances at succeeding, according to lawyers, and it appears Assange has realized this with his latest desperate stunt. It'll be interesting to see how he gets out of this one.

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