Will BBC 'leak' on UN panel decision harm Julian Assange?
In what seems to be the "scoop of the day", British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has claimed that the United Nations panel looking at the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, would be ruling in his favour when it announces its decision tomorrow, that is Friday, February 5, 2016.
"A UN panel has ruled in favour of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he complained he was "arbitrarily detained", the BBC understands.
Mr Assange claimed asylum in London's Ecuadorean embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex assault claims, which he denies.
The Met Police says Mr Assange would be arrested if he does leave the embassy.
He earlier said his passport should be returned and his arrest warrant dropped if the UN panel ruled in his favour.
In 2014, Mr Assange complained to the UN that he was being "arbitrarily detained" as he could not leave the embassy without being arrested.
The application claimed Mr Assange had been "deprived of his liberty in an arbitrary manner for an unacceptable length of time".
The UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is due to announce the findings of its investigation on Friday."
WikiLeaks has claimed that BBC has "scooped" this bit of still unconfirmed information, thereby adversely impacting the importance of Friday's press meet to announce the decision of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Julian Assange.
BBC is reporting claim that UN has found for Assange We are waiting official confirmation https://t.co/yIHlDNhzjJ pic.twitter.com/DeQHGnLqwK
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 4, 2016
Note what happened today. UN+Assange press confs tomorrow. UK already has verdict but not JA, public. So UK used BBC to 'scoop' UN, JA.
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 4, 2016
UN saying they will not confirm BBC #Assange report until Friday, 11am Geneva time https://t.co/3Lb3ohsd8J More: https://t.co/Mb6gXlhwsi
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 4, 2016
UK and Sweden accepted the jurisdiction of the UN WGAD and were parties in the case for its duration of 16 months. https://t.co/Mb6gXlhwsi
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 4, 2016
Full text of #Assange UN Arbitrary Detention case opening submission https://t.co/hTXjHMCO7y #UNWGAD
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 4, 2016
Moreover, British Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesperson at 10 Downing Street has categorically stated that the panel decision is not legally binding in the United Kingdom and that Assange will be immediately arrested if he left the Ecuadorian embassy.
"Should the UN announce tomorrow that I have lost my case against the United Kingdom and Sweden, I shall exit the embassy at noon on Friday to accept arrest by British police as there is no meaningful prospect of further appeal," Assange had said earlier on WikiLeaks Twitter account.
"However, should I prevail and the state parties be found to have acted unlawfully, I expect the immediate return of my passport and the termination of further attempts to arrest me."
Assange: I will accept arrest by British police on Friday if UN rules against me. More info: https://t.co/Mb6gXlz7QS pic.twitter.com/mffVsqKj5w
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 4, 2016