Consortiumnews
Volume 24, Number 308--November 4, 2018
Break-in Attempted at Assange's Residence in Ecuador Embassy
November 3, 2018
An attempt was made on Oct. 29 to break into the Ecuadorian embassy, where
security has been removed and new surveillance devices installed, reports
Joe Lauria.
Break-in Attempted at Embassy;
Fears Raised of Abduction
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
An attempted break-in at Julian Assange's residence inside the Ecuadorian
Embassy in London on Oct. 29, and the absence of a security detail, have
increased fears about the safety of the WikiLeak's publisher.
Lawyers for Assange have confirmed to activist and journalist Suzie Dawson
that Assange was awoken in the early morning hours by the break-in attempt.
They confirmed to Dawson that the attempt was to enter a front window of the
embassy. A booby-trap Assange had set up woke him, the lawyers said.
Scaffolding has appeared against the embassy building in the Knightsbridge
section in London which "obscures the embassy's security cameras," the
lawyers said.
Scaffolding near balcony where Assange has appeared. (Sean O'Brien)
On the scaffolding electronic devices, presumably to conduct surveillance,
can be seen, just feet from the embassy windows.
Later on the day of the break-in, Sean O'Brien, a lecturer at Yale
University Law School and a cyber-security expert, was able to enter the
embassy through the front door, which was left open. Inside he found no
security present. Someone from the embassy emerged to tell him to send an
email to set up an appointment with Assange. After emailing the embassy,
personnel inside refused to check whether it had been received or not.
One of the apparent surveillance devices. (Sean O'Brien.)
O'Brien then noticed more scaffolding being erected and observed the
devices, which he photographed. Though a cyber-security expert, O'Brien said
he could not identify what the devices are.
"I've never seen devices quite like this, and I take photos of surveillance
equipment often," O'Brien said. "There were curious plastic tubes with
yellow-orange caps, zip-tied to the front. I have no idea what these are
but they seem to have equipment inside them."
The devices are pointed towards the embassy, where all the blinds were open,
and not the street, he said. "The surveillance devices in the photos reveals
no manufacturer branding, serial numbers or visible device information,"
Dawson said. "The combination of the obscuring of the street-facing
surveillance cameras and the installation of surveillance equipment pointed
into instead of away from the Embassy, is alarming."
Another device. (Sean O'Brien)
The Ecuadorean government had to have given permission for the devices to be
installed as they are flush up against the embassy walls on government
sovereign territory, Dawson said.
O'Brien said that previous visitors had described to him "closed and locked
doors. Security guards manning the desk at all times. Privacy drapes, dark
rooms with shuttered blinds. For such a reversal of position to have
occurred, there is only one conclusion: the Ecuadorian Embassy is open for
business. Wide open."
In May the Ecuadorian government of President Lenin Moreno shut off
Assange's electronic communications and denied him all visitors except his
mother and his lawyers. Last month the government offered Assange a deal:
his access to the world could be restored if he agreed not to comment on
politics. Assange reportedly refused.
On Thursday the government suddenly barred all access to Assange visitors,
including his legal team until next Monday, raising fears that no witnesses
could be present should there be an attempt to abduct Assange over the
weekend.
The break-in attempt occurred on the morning that Assange was due to testify
via video-link to a court in Quito regarding Assange's conditions of asylum.
Technical problems interrupted Assange's testimony. The court ruled against
his lawyer's petition for protections for Assange.
The new Ecuadorian government indicated in the Spring that Assange would
eventually have to leave the embassy. Assange fears that if he leaves the
British government will arrest him on a minor charge of skipping bail when
he legally sought asylum inside the embassy in June of 2012.
Assange and his lawyers fear that if he is detained by British authorities
he would be extradited to the United States where they believe there is a
sealed indictment against him possibly on espionage charges for simply
publishing classified documents that he has not been accused of stealing.
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former correspondent
for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Sunday Times of London and
numerous other newspapers.
