{"id":259832,"date":"2016-10-19T15:41:49","date_gmt":"2016-10-19T15:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=259832"},"modified":"2016-10-19T15:41:49","modified_gmt":"2016-10-19T15:41:49","slug":"ecuador-curbs-assanges-internet-to-halt-us-election-interference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/10\/ecuador-curbs-assanges-internet-to-halt-us-election-interference\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecuador curbs Assange’s internet to halt US election ‘interference’"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ecuador has acknowledged it partly restricted internet access for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is taking refuge at its London embassy.<\/p>\n
It said Mr Assange had in recent weeks released material that could have an impact on the US presidential election.<\/p>\n
Ecuador also said its move was not the result of pressure from Washington.<\/p>\n
The US denied WikiLeaks accusations that it had asked Ecuador to stop the site publishing documents about presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.<\/p>\n
Transparency activist Julian Assange has sought asylum at London’s Ecuadorean embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex assault allegations.<\/p>\n
‘No pressure’<\/strong><\/p>\n In a statement (in Spanish), the Ecuadorean foreign ministry said WikiLeaks’ decision to publish documents could have an impact on the US presidential election.<\/p>\n It said the release was entirely the responsibility of the organisation, and Ecuador did not want to interfere in the electoral process.<\/p>\n “In that respect, Ecuador, exercising its sovereign right, has temporarily restricted access to part of its communications systems in its UK Embassy,” the statement said.<\/p>\n It added that “Ecuador does not yield to pressures from other countries”.<\/p>\n WikiLeaks earlier said that Ecuador had cut off Mr Assange’s internet access on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n