WikiLeaks says Assange papers, manuscripts will be given to US authorities: report

WikiLeaks said Ecuador would turn over to U.S. prosecutors possessions belonging to Julian Assange that remain in the country’s London embassy.

The organization claims that Ecuadorian officials will permit U.S. prosecutors to “help themselves” to Assange’s legal papers, medical records and electronic devices, according to The Guardian. 

WikiLeaks said that Assange’s attorneys will not be present. 

{mosads}”On Monday Ecuador will perform a puppet show at the embassy of Ecuador in London for their masters in Washington, just in time to expand their extradition case before the UK deadline on 14 June,” WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said, according to the British newspaper. “The Trump administration is inducing its allies to behave like it’s the Wild West.”

WikiLeaks’ and Assange’s defense coordinator, Baltasar Garzón, also called the reported development “extremely worrying.”

“Ecuador has proceeded with the search and seizure of property, documents, information and other material belonging to the defense of Julian Assange, which Ecuador arbitrarily confiscated, so that these can be handed over to the the agent of political persecution against him, the United States,” he said. 

Ecuador has recently said it was awaiting the completion of an investigation into Assange’s items and has also accused Assange of trying to use the embassy for spying, according to the British outlet Sky News. 

Assange was arrested at the embassy earlier this year and is serving a sentence in London for skipping bail. He had previously been holed up in the building since 2012. He is wanted in the U.S. for allegedly helping former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified information. Sweden has also recently reopened a rape case against him.