The site he runs published tens of thousands of leaked sensitive U.S. documents before his legal troubles began in late 2010.
Assange, who is wanted for questioning in the alleged sexual assault of two women in Sweden, sought refuge last week in Ecuador’s London Embassy. Assange says he fears the United States will seek his extradition from Sweden.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Stone and Moore, both well-known and left-leaning Hollywood directors, are two of the highest-ranking celebs getting involved in the Assange-WikiLeaks asylum ordeal. The two have become involved in a petition in favor of making Ecuador Assange’s new home.
Just Foreign Policy, a non-profit group that says it’s non-partisan, began the petition to urge Ecuador’s government to see the issue “is important to people around the world.”
“Basically this is his [Assange’s] only hope,” Robert Naiman, Policy Director of Just Foreign Policy, told Fox News Latino.
“They may have not have chosen to have this thrust upon them now, but they need to do the right thing — protect the activist,” Naiman said.
Since Moore and Stone became involved in the petition, Naiman said, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people getting involved.
“We did two different things: We did a petition which we spread online,” Naiman told FNL. “Then we did this letter to get prominent Americans like Michael Moore.”
Naiman adds that he personally delivered the petition by hand last week and was told officials in Quito received the petition with over 4,000 signatures on it. “I don’t think there is a plan B,” said Naiman in regards to what Assange will do if Ecuador refuses to give him asylum.
Joining Stone and Moore in the letter are whistle blowers such as Daniel Ellsberg of the Vietnam War and Coleen Rowley, a retired FBI agent & former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel. He was also one of three “whistleblowers” named Time Magazine’s “Persons of the Year” in 2002.
In the letter, Just Foreign Policy argues that if Assange gets extradited to Sweden, it can lead to an extradition to the U.S.
The letter also said that because the U.S. government exhibits “hostility to WikiLeaks,” an extradition could result in the death penalty for Assange if he’s charged and found guilty in the U.S.
As of now, Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, has not made a decision on Assange’s asylum application. Ecuador’s ambassador to Britain returned to Quito over the weekend and discussed the case with Patino and President Rafael Correa. (foxnews)
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