The authorities of Ecuador have deprived Julian Assange of asylum in the London embassy. The founder of WikiLeaks is detained by the British police, and this has already been called the biggest betrayal in the history of Ecuador. Why is Assange being avenged and what awaits him?
Julian Assange, a programmer and journalist from Australia, became widely known after the WikiLeaks website he founded published secret documents from the US State Department, as well as materials related to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010.
But it was quite difficult to find out who the policemen, supporting by the arms, were taking out of the building. Assange grew a beard and did not look at all like the energetic man that he had so far presented in photographs.
According to Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, Assange's asylum was denied because of his repeated violations of international conventions.
He is expected to remain at a police station in central London until he appears before Westminster Magistrates' Court.
Why the President of Ecuador is accused of betrayal
Former President of Ecuador Rafael Correa called the decision of the current government the biggest betrayal in the history of the country. "What he (Moreno. - Approx. ed.) did is a crime that humanity will never forget," Correa said.
London, on the contrary, thanked Moreno. The British Foreign Office believes that justice has prevailed. The representative of the Russian diplomatic department, Maria Zakharova, has a different opinion. "The hand of 'democracy' is squeezing the throat of freedom," she said. The Kremlin expressed the hope that the rights of the arrested person would be respected.
Ecuador harbored Assange because the former president was center-left, critical of U.S. policy, and welcomed WikiLeaks' release of classified documents on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even before the Internet activist needed asylum, he managed to get to know Correa personally: he interviewed him for the Russia Today channel.
However, in 2017, the government in Ecuador changed, the country headed for rapprochement with the United States. The new president called Assange "a stone in the shoe" and immediately made it clear that his stay on the territory of the embassy would not be delayed.
According to Correa, the moment of truth came at the end of June last year, when US Vice President Michael Pence arrived in Ecuador on a visit. Then everything was decided. “You can be sure: Lenin is just a hypocrite. He has already agreed with the Americans about the fate of Assange. And now he is trying to make us swallow the pill, saying that Ecuador allegedly continues the dialogue,” Correa said in an interview with Russia Today.
How Assange made new enemies
The day before his arrest, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristin Hrafnsson said that Assange was under total surveillance. "WikiLeaks uncovered a massive spy operation against Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy," he said. According to him, cameras and voice recorders were placed around Assange, and the information received was transmitted to the administration of Donald Trump.
Hrafnsson specified that Assange was going to be expelled from the embassy a week earlier. This did not happen only because WikiLeaks made this information public. A high-ranking source told the portal about the plans of the Ecuadorian authorities, but the head of the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry, Jose Valencia, denied the rumors.
Assange's expulsion was preceded by a corruption scandal involving Moreno. In February, WikiLeaks published the INA Papers package, which traced the operations of the offshore company INA Investment, founded by the brother of the Ecuadorian leader. In Quito, they said that this was a plot by Assange with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and former head of Ecuador Rafael Correa to overthrow Moreno.
In early April, Moreno complained about Assange's behavior in Ecuador's London mission. “We have to protect the life of Mr. Assange, but he has already crossed all the lines in terms of violating the agreement that we came to with him,” the president said. “This does not mean that he cannot speak freely, but he cannot lie and hack ". At the same time, back in February last year, it became known that Assange at the embassy was deprived of the opportunity to interact with the outside world, in particular, he was turned off access to the Internet.
Why Sweden stopped persecuting Assange
At the end of last year, Western media, citing sources, reported that Assange would be charged in the United States. This was never officially confirmed, but it was precisely because of Washington's position that Assange had to take refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy six years ago.
Sweden, in May 2017, stopped investigating two cases of rape in which the founder of the portal was accused. Assange demanded compensation from the country's government for legal costs in the amount of 900,000 euros.
Earlier, in 2015, Swedish prosecutors also dropped three charges against him due to the statute of limitations.
Where did the rape investigation lead?
Assange arrived in Sweden in the summer of 2010, hoping to get protection from US authorities. But he was under investigation for rape. In November 2010, a warrant for his arrest was issued in Stockholm, and Assange was put on the international wanted list. He was detained in London, but was soon released on bail of 240 thousand pounds.
In February 2011, a British court ruled to extradite Assange to Sweden, followed by a series of successful appeals for the founder of WikiLeaks.
The British authorities placed him under house arrest before deciding to extradite him to Sweden. Breaking his promise to the authorities, Assange asked for asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy, which was granted to him. Since then, the UK has had its own grievances against the founder of WikiLeaks.
What's next for Assange?
The man was re-arrested following a U.S. extradition request for publishing classified documents, police said. At the same time, Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Duncan said that Assange would not be sent to the United States if he faced the death penalty there.
In the UK, Assange is likely to appear in court on the afternoon of 11 April. This is stated on the WikiLeaks Twitter page. It is likely that the British authorities will seek a maximum sentence of 12 months, the man's mother said, citing his lawyer.
At the same time, the Swedish prosecutor's office is considering reopening the investigation into the rape allegation. Lawyer Elizabeth Massey Fritz, who represented the interests of the victim, will seek this.
One day there comes an hour when each of us thinks about ecology. And when we look on a global scale at the ecological situation on our entire planet, a sad picture emerges. But all the existing problems should not make us give up, because if there is a problem, this is a sign that we need to act and change something! Let's start by paying attention to the existing problem of ecology. This task became the basis of the world-famous project " Earth Hour 2017».
Earth Hour 2017
Earth Hour is a global action that takes place every year on the last Saturday of March around the globe. The idea of such a project belongs to the World Wildlife Fund. The main idea of the action is that people all over the planet at the agreed time on this day turn off the light for 1 hour and all appliances that consume electricity. The illumination of monuments and buildings of world significance also goes out.
For what?
Why is this done and what gives this 1 hour of "electro-silence"? The point is that as many people as possible pay attention to the existing problem of Earth's climate change, call for not being indifferent and joining forces to solve the environmental problem.
Of course, this is mostly a purely symbolic action. " Earth Hour 2017” is not for saving electricity. He seems to be saying that nature should be treated with care, act together, calls for more active and resolute protection of the Earth's climate, as well as care and remember that its resources are not unlimited.
Scientific reference
If scientists are to be believed, then according to their calculations, as humanity does business, uses natural resources and accumulates waste, then by 2050 we will need a new planet, because. this one will no longer work. Such a clear example of our activities makes us think - what will we leave to our descendants?
1 hour for us
Information from scientists is amazing. It immediately becomes clear that it is necessary to solve such a global problem all together, at all levels. Therefore, the action Earth Hour 2017” gives everyone the opportunity to vote for the cleanliness and health of our Earth. Do not think that this "voting" is formal. By expressing our consent and participating in the action, we actually give such processes a moral assessment and develop a correct worldview. And this is very important! After all, it is our goals, attitudes, our aspiration of love for the planet and our deep outlook on life that shapes our behavior.
Share scale
The action began with a single city - Sydney (Australia) in 2007. And the next year, the world community joined it: 35 countries and 100 million people. Since then, every year more and more people participate in the action. Now this figure has already exceeded 2 billion people. This is the largest and most well-known environmental action.
In Russia, the action officially started in 2009, although its adherents held it less grandiose even earlier. The illumination of the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, the Winter Palace (St. Petersburg) and other buildings were turned off. The same is true of world cultural monuments: the Colosseum (Rome), the Golden Gate (San Francisco), the Eiffel Tower (Paris), etc. The project is supported by famous people, actors, presenters, musicians and public figures.
How to join?
In 2017, the action " Earth Hour 2017" will be held on Saturday, March 25 at 20:30. Yes, you! Turn off the lights for an hour!
The options for the action are different. You can not only turn off the light. Various events are held: fire shows, bike rides, ecology lessons, workshops on making eco-friendly toys, jewelry, etc.
Also on the official website of the program you can take a test, mark your location on the map, participate in programs for the conservation of forests and rare animals. In the last project, you can unite with friends, like-minded people and carry out your events with benefit. You can hold an exhibition, a concert and collect donations to help some rare animal or other eco-events. You can “take” a tiger under the collective care, collect garbage in the forest, etc.
What will happen to the power plant?
A common question is how such a power surge will affect the operation of power plants. It has already been repeatedly explained in the media that NOTHING will happen, because such a power surge is actually the same as if, for example, Muscovites returned from work at 7 pm and turned on the light, like the usual rhythm of morning or evening tension. Therefore, there is no harm to power plants.
60+
The stock logo was previously "60". Over time, with the development of the program, the logo became "60+". He calls to go beyond just one hour and do something more to save our planet. And as usual, you need to start with yourself! Therefore, let's change for the better, every day at least a little bit, learn everything that makes our life easier, and we will succeed.
Earth Hour is an annual event that is becoming more and more popular and widespread around the world. The event is hosted by the World Wildlife Fund (). Earth Hour is the last Saturday in March. 2017 Earth Hour will take place on March 25 and will last from 20:30 to 21:30.
The principle of Earth Hour is that individuals, public organizations, municipalities, commercial institutions turn off the light completely. Exceptions are elevators and other vital electrical appliances, the suspension of which cannot or is not recommended. Schools, organizations, educations, institutions join the action. In many cities, entire buildings are turned off. The first one hour without electric light was held in Australia in 2007. After that, the event received support from other countries of the world. Every year, Earth Hour is held on a larger scale. According to some estimates, in 2009 more than a billion people in the world participated in the action to turn off the light and electrical appliances for an hour. Certainly, 2017 will be no exception.
Earth Hour is broadcast on TV channels and discussed in the press, as often this hour looks really unusual. Even the most famous sights of the world's cities are switched off from lighting, for example, the Empire State Building in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Sydney Opera House, the Colosseum in Rome, the Great Pyramids in Rome, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a lot others. Large-scale actions are also taking place in Russia, where, in honor of this event, many of the largest objects and attractions are turned off from lighting. It is a beautiful sight that cannot be seen on other days of the year. However, Earth Hour is not about beauty.
The annual action with a power outage is designed to stimulate humanity's interest in the problem of climate change and the uncontrolled consumption of the Earth's reserves. The refusal of electricity for one hour is a tribute to the surrounding nature and an occasion to think about what kind of world humanity has built for itself, completely fenced off from the environment and at the same time causing irreparable harm to it.
Earth Hour in Russia video
According to scientists, a person has been living on Earth for several tens of thousands of years. From year to year, the violent activity of Homo sapiens caused great damage to the planet. People have developed, technology has stepped forward, which means that the problems associated with pollution of the planet have only increased. But smart humanity once said to itself: "Stop!" Thus, a new holiday was born, or rather, the worldwide action World Wide Funf For Nature.
We compare watches
Every person will be able to think about their behavior on March 28, 2020 from half past eight to half past ten in the evening local time. The essence of the action is simple: everyone who participates in it must turn off all electrical appliances and lights for just one hour. It will be unbearably difficult to spend a whole Earth hour in complete darkness, without the Internet, TV and smartphone, but the planet needs our sacrifices. There were cases when people who turned off the light for just an hour were so imbued with the primordial atmosphere, charged with calmness and silence, that they refused to turn on the light after an hour. When Earth Hour was over around the world, they continued to sit in the dark.
Goal for the hour
Like all actions held under the auspices of the World Wildlife Organization, environmentalists hope to draw as much attention as possible to the pressing problems of our planet. Show that humanity, when faced with one common problem, can rally around it and solve it, if not completely, then partially. This is what the organizers of the World Wide Fund action are calling for and what thousands of people who have joined the action are counting on. Every year the number of active participants is growing, perhaps it's just a fashionable flash mob today, or maybe it's true that humanity has become a little more responsible in recent decades. But the matter cannot be solved in one hour, especially on a planetary scale, so the Earth Hour action is rather a symbol of our faith and struggle for the future of the planet, and therefore for our future too.
Sad statistic
According to scientists, human impact on the environment has increased markedly since 2003. Even then, environmentalists sounded the alarm, because while maintaining such a harmful trend, by 2050 the planet will turn into one big garbage dump, which will completely lack all the resources necessary for living organisms. And then the hour of the earth in 2051 will have to be celebrated by mankind on some neighboring planet. The point is small - to find a planet suitable for life and invent a way to transport a multi-billion population. Or maybe it’s easier to clean up at home and not leave your native land?
Stock statistics
For the first time, the Australians, concerned about environmental problems, dared to turn off the electricity. Earth Hour was accompanied by a massive but voluntary power outage in Sydney, the country's major metropolitan area. The electro-flashmob appealed to other advanced citizens of the world, and in the following year more than 100 million people in 35 countries joined the Australians. Every year the number of participants in the action is growing. Just think, in 2011 it was supported by almost 2 billion people from 135 countries of the world. It’s even scary to think how many citizens will voluntarily cut off their electricity for Earth Hour 2020.
Russia without light
Our country, without knowing it, has periodically participated and continues to participate in these actions, and not only in March, but every time the electricity is cut off here or there. But this is all unofficial, so to speak, on a voluntary basis and at the request of citizens of the country excited about the fate of the planet. The official Earth Day was held in our country only in 2009, when the action was supported by 20 cities, and the total number of people who turned off the light in 2011 amounted to 11 million people. In the past 2019, the action was supported by more than 150 cities.
Strictly on a voluntary basis
Earth Hour is attended not only by conscious citizens who care about the fate of the planet, but also by large organizations. The authorities of various cities turn off the street lighting of buildings for the duration of the action, but leave the city lighting on. Still, safety precautions must be observed, so the lighting must work regardless of the goodwill of the participants. Basically, during the campaign, the lights are turned off at the most famous sights of a particular city. In 2011, the Roman Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, the Acropolis in Athens and the Empire State Building in New York were left without power. Luzhniki, Moscow State University, Shabolovskaya Tower and about 70 other various metropolitan facilities were responsible for the Russian part. The cultural capital did not lag behind Moscow either. In St. Petersburg, the famous bridges, the Winter Palace, Palace Square and other famous sights plunged into darkness.