"Back Off": Assange Attorney Michael Ratner Urges U.K., U.S. to Respect Asylum Decision, Int’l Law
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Video, August, 19 2012 Michael Ratner
http://www.zcommunications.org/back-off-assange-attorney-michael-ratner-urges-u-k-u-s-to-respect-asylum-decision-int-l-law-by-michael-ratner
Sunday, August 19, 2012
By Michael Ratner and Amy Goodman
Source: Democracy Now
Michael Ratner, a member of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges legal team, reacts to the breaking news that Ecuador has approved Assanges request for political asylum.
Michael Ratner, a member of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges legal team, reacts to the breaking news that Ecuador has approved Assanges request for political asylum two months after Assange took refuge in its London embassy. Britain says it still plans to extradite Assange to Sweden, where he faces questioning for alleged sexual misconduct. "The British ought to just back off, and the U.S. ought to just back off," Ratner says. "For the British to say that theyre going to go into the embassy and get out someone whos been granted asylum would turn the refugee convention and asylum completely on its head. ... [Assange] has a right to leave that embassy, get on a plane and go to Ecuador. ... Thats the law."