Ecuador confident that US won’t execute Assange, but what about spending 175yrs in prison, instead?

Julian Assange will not be executed if he’s extradited to the US, Ecuador has reassured the world. This is good news for Assange, who will have a full life to live after completing his 175-year prison term.

The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry announced that no matter what happens to Assange, the UK has promised that it would not extradite him to a country that will kill him. The soothing statement was issued ahead of the first London court hearing to decide if the Wikileaks co-founder will be shipped off to the US in shackles.

Amid so much doom over Assange’s fate, it’s refreshing to have a bit of optimism coming from Ecuador’s conscientious diplomats. After revoking Assange’s political asylum and allowing UK authorities to frog-march him out of their embassy, Ecuador is obviously deeply concerned about the journalist’s well-being.

Instead of being executed for exposing war crimes, Assange currently faces up to 175 years in prison for publishing factual information that embarrassed powerful people.

The good news is that Assange might be similar to that Benjamin Button guy, and perhaps gets younger as he gets older. Factor in that US authorities could grant him an early release for good behaviour – after a mere 150 years, for example – and Assange could be free as soon as 2170.

But of course we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever to suspect that the UK would sign off on Assange’s extradition. What’s more, the UN Rapporteur has confirmed on live television that Assange is being well-treated by his British caretakers and there’s really very little to worry about.

By Dwight Sherman

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