The most succinct reply to this article is "bollocks"

Ecuador is known for jailing reporters and editors for articles adverse to the government. This is a publicity stunt to take the limelight off its own freedom of speech violations.

Indeed, Shadow.

Get him to Sweden and to trail.

Stuart Rees must be writing about a different Ecuador to the one I am aware of. The ecuador I know has been criticised by numerous people and organisations for its suppression of the press and political interference in the judiciary.

Human Rights Watch has this to say "Ecuador’s laws restrict freedom of expression, and government officials, including Correa, use these laws against his critics. Those involved in protests marred by violence may be prosecuted on inflated and inappropriate ‘terrorism’ charges."

http://www.hrw.org/americas/ecuador

One example of Correa's principles http://www.wpfc.org/?q=node/475

We had the same "conversation" years ago over Davis Hicks.

I see the hand of the same of the same trolls, who use the same stencil for everything.

BORING!

....gotta go now. My morning bowel movement can't be stilled.

...I am not sure where I stand on the issue of Julian Assange, there are obviously many levels of contention on this issue, which swings the mind left and right of the centre line of justice.

...Right at this moment, the criticism by the West of Ecuador and its alleged attack on freedom speech, leaves me feeling “nonplussed”. This criticism must be viewed in the light of the negative effects of interventionist policies of the USA in South America over many years.

As the U.S. and its craven acolytes pull the net tighter and tighter around Assange, there are those who applaud or feign indifference.

It is obvious to me that Australia is being sucked further and further into the Imperial American Net, in part because our politicians on bother sides are bum-kissers, and in part because most Australians know nothing about world affairs and couldn't care less anyway!

What the Assange affair shows is that the U.S. does whatever it wants to whoever it wants and that its minions, of which Australia is one, will give it every assistance even if it means breaking its own laws (like Embassy sovereignty).

How long will it be before the Australian Government heeds American requests and arrests and imprisons those who speak out against American hegemony and warmongering and condemn it?

Wake up, Australia. Your freedoms are vanishing.