The spring holiday of Navruz Bayram is celebrated all over the world: its traditions and customs are amazing. International Nowruz Day When is Nowruz celebrated in a year?

If we compare the number of holidays of Muslims and Christians, then Muslims lose greatly here. There are not many significant dates in Islam, but New Year or Nowruz refers specifically to significant dates. So, Nowruz or Muslim New Year 2017: what date is celebrated, what traditions and customs are and a lot of useful information - in the article.

“Navruz” is the name of the New Year holiday that came from Persia (modern Iran), and from the ancient Farsi language it is translated as “new day,” that is, the first day that crowns the beginning of the coming new year. In 2017, all the peoples of the Muslim world According to the astronomical calendar, it will be celebrated on March 21, on the day of the spring equinox.

The date was assigned to this New Year's holiday in the Muslim world, first in countries such as Iran and Afghanistan. And in such countries of the former USSR as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, as well as in some Muslim states of the Caucasus and Russia (Dagestan, Tatarstan, Azerbaijan and many others), in our time this holiday is not celebrated in its secular sense.

But in such multinational states as, for example, Kazakhstan, Navruz is still a national holiday, when, like the Christian New Year, it is celebrated by Kazakhs, Russians, Germans, and Ukrainians. Respecting the traditions of the Kazakh people, everyone treats traditions with understanding (prayers in the mosque, abstinence in accordance with the requirements of Islam, and others), the residents of Kazakhstan consider it the same native holiday as everyone else, and they also celebrate Navruz in their own way.

history of the holiday

If you turn your attention to the origins of the Muslim New Year (what date is in 2017 - you will find information at the beginning of the article), then its date will turn out to be completely different. The fact is that the Muslim calendar begins on October 3, 1438. This calendar was called “Hijra” (translated from Arabic as “migration”). And it comes on the first day of the Month of Muharram.

And the calendar is called “migration” because it is dedicated to the move of the Prophet Muhammad to Medina from Mecca. It is from this day that the chronology of Muslims opens, when everyone gathers in mosques to hear a sermon dedicated to this event and cleanse their souls from sin with prayer. This calendar was compiled in strict accordance with the Koran, therefore every follower of Islam is obliged to strictly comply with its requirements.

It is important! Since the Hijri is based on the lunar calendar and its annual cycle, it will accordingly be 11-12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. For this reason, Navruz also falls in March. In addition, unlike all calendars of European countries, the months of the Muslim Hijri calendar do not depend on monthly seasonal work at any time of the year. Therefore, the New Year according to the eastern calendar can begin at any time of the year.

Traditionally, like all peoples, the inhabitants of the Muslim world believe that the way you spend this day, the whole year will pass. According to the Quran, the first month of the New Year is the best month for fasting after the month of Ramadan. By the way, the month of Muharram refers to the four Forbidden months, when it is forbidden to commit evil acts towards others and oneself.

Traditions celebrating Navruz

Nowadays, the New Year is celebrated, like any other holiday, solemnly, and they prepare for it long before it begins. The house is cleaned, food is prepared and relatives and friends are invited to visit. It is on this day that people try to visit parents and help loved ones in need, as well as remember deceased relatives.

Therefore, we can rightfully consider that Navruz is, rather, a secular holiday, or rather, rooted in pagan beliefs (like the New Year holidays or Easter for Christians), and not directly related to Islamic traditions. But the main thing that is an obligatory element of the holiday is visiting the mosque and praying for cleansing from sins. Pay attention to .

In everyday life, according to ancient popular beliefs, long before the holiday, wheat or lentils are sprouted and the table is decorated with them, thereby symbolizing the beginning of both the New Year and a new life. Well, bringing cleanliness and order to the house was considered mandatory because it symbolized the purity of the inner world of the owner of the house, his thoughts, and his desires.

There should be seven products on the festive table as a gift to the Sun, who gives the future harvest. They are different among different nations, but the number is the same - seven. These days were also considered prosperous for weddings and good new beginnings. Fortune telling, belief in omens - everything is connected with this bright holiday.

So, from our article you learned what date is the Muslim New Year in 2017, and what celebration traditions exist among Muslims. In our time, this wonderful holiday has absorbed all the best traditional features, and has given people of non-Muslim nationality the opportunity to celebrate another New Year together with Uzbeks, Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Tatars, because friendship between peoples of different nationalities and religions is alive. And it is difficult to defeat it artificially, sowing discord and scandals, inciting wars.

Navruz or Novruz (also known as Nauryz, Nauruz, Nooruz, Navrez) is a spring holiday, an analogue of the New Year among the Turkic and some Iranian peoples. About what kind of holiday this is, when it is celebrated, how Navruz 2017 is celebrated in Moscow - in our article.

Turkic New Year

When is Navruz celebrated in 2017? This question is asked by everyone who encounters such a fun and colorful holiday for the first time. Regardless of the year, lunar or solar cycles, this holiday is always celebrated on the same day.

Nowruz is a national holiday, not a religious one, and therefore has nothing to do with Islam and Islamic customs; The celebration of Nowruz is entirely based on national traditions. In 2009, the holiday was included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list, and from that moment Navruz acquired international status. March 21 is now considered International Nowruz Day.

This holiday is celebrated in a number of Asian countries - from our closest neighbors Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan to Macedonia, Turkey, and Afghanistan. This day is also celebrated by the peoples inhabiting our country: Novruz is celebrated as a national holiday in Bashkiria, Dagestan, Tatarstan and other regions.

history of the holiday

“Novruz” translated from ancient Persian means “new day”; this meaning very accurately reflects the meaning of the holiday. The beginning of Navruz, according to legend, was considered the starting point of the new year. The first day of Nowruz corresponded to the beginning of a new solar cycle; today it is firmly associated with the vernal equinox.

Appearing in the pre-literate era, it became widespread with the advent of Zoroastrianism, although it is known for certain that Navruz originated even before the formation of the teachings of Zarathustra. In many ways, the holiday is associated with the cult of fire that reigned in Zoroastrianism - echoes of ancient customs are still noticeable: among the Turkic and some Iranian peoples, it is customary to light large bonfires on the holiday and dance around them or jump over the flames.

Customs and traditions

The main sign of Navruz, which is still observed today by all peoples - from Tajiks to Macedonians: the richer the festive table, the larger and brighter the celebration, the more successful and fertile the new year will be. The custom of celebrating the beginning of the year on a grand scale goes back to ancient times: historians have found evidence confirming the commonality of traditions for celebrating Navruz among a variety of peoples.

The first thing every thrifty owner needs to do is prepare his home for the holiday. The housewife cleans the rooms, the man’s task is to tidy up the area around the house, remove – or better yet, burn – all the garbage that has accumulated over the winter, fix the fence and do other minor housework. The main idea of ​​such a large-scale cleaning is that you need to enter the New Year cleansed of all kinds of rubbish. For the same purpose, it is recommended to pay off debts and deal with enmity between relatives, friends and neighbors.

The next, no less mandatory action is preparing the festive table. As a treat, the hostess of the house is obliged to set out at least seven dishes. In general, the number seven plays a huge role in the traditions of Nowruz - for example, it is customary for many nations to prepare porridge from seven grains or bake sweets from seven ingredients. Among the festive treats there are also specific dishes prepared exclusively for Navruz. These can be special flatbreads, sweet pastries, or meat prepared in a special way.

A rich treat, which is generously shared with all guests who come to the house, is just one of the holiday traditions. No less famous is the custom of lighting fires and jumping over the fire - according to legend, the flame cleanses from sins and burns away illnesses and sorrows.

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Nowruz cannot be called a religious holiday - it is rather a folk holiday and is dedicated to the spring equinox. Usually people on this day remembered the deceased, in addition, on Navruz Zoroastrians worshiped the forces of fire, which in turn was considered life energy, thus sent to us by the sky.

Date of Navruz holiday in 2017

Every year it is the same and does not differ from previous ones, and therefore Navruz in 2017 is celebrated on March 21. Over the many years of existence of this celebration, it was either canceled or reintroduced, and even today it is celebrated only in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. But the Arabs do not celebrate Nowruz at all. But the duration of the holiday is different in each country. In some states it is celebrated from March 21 to 23, and in others even for 6 days, that is, from the 21st to the 27th. In these countries, Nowruz is one of the most popular holidays and is revered not only as a day of spring, but also as the New Year.

Traditions of Nowruz

According to legends, Nowruz must be spent having fun and, as is the case in many countries, it is believed that work is not allowed. On the night of the 20th to the 21st, Muslims gather with their whole family and begin their celebration. Moreover, according to popular belief, if you spend this day outside the house, you will not see it at all for the whole year, and therefore they used to try not to leave their home and have fun with their relatives. In addition to traditional sweets (shekerbura, baklava, badamburoy, gogal) and pilaf, there are seven dishes that begin with the letter “s” (sabzi, semenya, sked, sumac, sirke, etc.)

Baraat Night in 2017 - May 11

It is a holy night in Muslim culture and is celebrated in the Hijri month of Sha'ban. According to the sages, the month of Ramadan is the time to collect fruits for one’s good deeds, but Sha’ban, on the contrary, is the period when it is necessary to sow them. Days 14 and 15 are considered turning points when it is necessary to pray and fast.

Date of the holiday: Holy Night of Baraat

Every year it is different and is determined quite simply - for Muslims it is always the night from the 14th to the 15th of the month of Sha'ban. In 2017, Baraat Night is celebrated on May 11th. This day is not only a symbol of goodness and philanthropy, but also a holiday of forgiveness of sins, correction and purification.

Traditions on Baraat Night

Muslims pray all night for the forgiveness of sins, and in the morning they perform the ritual of ablution. They prepare for this day carefully - they wash their clothes white, or simply buy new white ones, clean the house, wash everything and get rid of trash. And after the ritual of ablution, they put on clean clothes and go to breakfast, where the head of the family says a prayer. In this case, the table must be low and it is called dastarkhan. Festive dishes are usually light, they try to serve more vegetables, since intensive preparation for the month of Ramadan begins on this day.

Ramadan in 2017 - from May 27 to June 25

Ramadan is not one day, but a whole month, which Muslims sacredly honor and observe strict fasting all this time. According to all adherents of Islam, the month of Ramadan is considered one of the five pillars on which, in principle, their faith rests.

When does Ramadan start in 2017? Ramadan Bayram in 2017

As we have already said, Ramadan is the month that immediately follows the month of Shaabat. It is determined according to the phases of the moon and is the ninth month of the year. In 2017, Ramadan Bayram begins on May 27 and ends on June 25, respectively.

Ramadan traditions

Throughout the month, faithful Muslims pray and strictly fast. They try more than usual to do good deeds and cleanse themselves of filth. Moreover, in addition to abstaining from food, Muslims also refuse intimacy with their wives.

Eid al-Fitr in 2017

This is the second most important holiday for adherents of Islam. On this day, Muslims rejoice that Allah has given them the opportunity for spiritual growth - the whole month of Ramadan - and analyze the results of the past fast.

Date of Eid al-Fitr holiday

At the end of the month of Ramadan, namely on June 26, the Muslim people celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, or as it is also called Eid ul-Fitr.

Traditions of the holiday Eid al-Fitr

At the end of the fast, they throw a loud, rich and joyful holiday with no less generous treats. The holiday must be celebrated strictly in the family circle, and a restaurant or cafe is not welcome. The first thing they do on this day is to put on festive clothes and go to the mosque, but only men do this, and women at this time prepare treats and the house for the celebration. After a family meal and prayer, many go to visit their family and friends, while others, accordingly, invite everyone to visit them. They also continue to give alms, sometimes this is a treat from the table, but most often it is a monetary alms. Don’t forget to visit the cemetery where relatives are buried.

Night of power and predestination (Laylatul-qadr) in 2017 - June 21

In Islam, this is the main and most powerful night, when you can ask for anything and the Almighty will fulfill it. And all because, according to legend, it was on this night that the Koran was sent down to earth, therefore, every year, according to the teachings of Muslims, Allah shows special mercy and blessing.

Date of Laylatul Qadr holiday

The date of the holiday usually varies, as it occurs ten days before the end of the month of Ramadan, and, accordingly, depends on the phase of the moon. In 2017, Laylatul Qadr is celebrated on June 21. It is worth noting that they have one peculiarity, because during this period the weather is usually good, everything is calm and not even a single star falls from the sky.

Traditions of Laylatul-qadr

It is advisable not to sleep at all or very little that night, which is what Muslims do. It is better to devote your free time to prayer either for forgiveness or for blessing, each has its own needs. Also, if on some day a Muslim missed any prayer or prayer, he can perform it that night. It is imperative to spend time analyzing the whole year, drawing conclusions from your actions and the actions of other people. The menu on this day and the previous one should also be lighter and less greasy, since, according to them, heavy food does not draw you to the prayer mat, but makes you sleepy.

Eid al-Adha in 2017 - September 1

This is the second holiday that Muhammad commanded to be celebrated and is the second largest holiday after Ramadan Bayram. It is also called the Feast of Sacrifice, Kurban Bayram, and Eid al-Adha. The holiday symbolizes absolute, pure and sincere faith in the Almighty, unity with him and approach.

Date of Eid al-Adha 2017

They remember the holiday in the month of Dhul-Hijjah on the 10th, that is, in 2017, Kurban Bayram is celebrated on September 1. All Muslims adhere to the lunar calendar, as a result of which all holidays are slightly shifted.

Traditions on Kurban Bayram

Just like on Ramadan Bayram, fasting is observed before the holiday itself, but its difference is that it lasts not 30 days, but 10. Then, at the end of it, Muslims also perform the ritual of ablution in the morning, put on clean clothes and the men go to the mosque. Moreover, no one eats anything in the morning. Also, during the day everyone goes to preach, but in the evening they slaughter the sacrificial animal and prepare the festive table. Killed livestock is usually eaten within the family circle and some is always left for the poor; food or money is also collected for them. In general, the holiday should take place in an atmosphere of kindness and sacrifice, and therefore whoever asks for help on this day cannot be refused.

Arafat Day in 2017 - August 31

According to legend, it was at the foot of Mount Arafat that Adam and Eve met after they were expelled from paradise. It is believed that on this day the significance and weight of actions doubles, that is, if you have done a good deed, the reward will be equivalent to the fact that you helped two people, not just one. The same applies to the bad ones, the punishment for them will be doubly stronger.

Date of Arafat Day 2017

Arafat Day is celebrated on the 9th day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, in the lunar calendar used by Muslims it is the twelfth. Therefore, in 2017, Arafat Day is celebrated on August 31st.

Holiday traditions

Mostly on this day, Muslims strive to get to Mount Arafat to make a pilgrimage to holy places and, of course, to pray. Mostly believers turn to Allah for forgiveness of sins. However, we all understand that not everyone manages to get to the mountain, so those who did not succeed try to do as many good deeds as possible and pray at home.

Ashura Day 2017 - October 1

Ashura Day can be called a unique holiday, since at this time the Earth, the first man, heaven and angels were created. In addition, it was on this night that the Prophet Muhammad received most of his revelations.

Day of Ashura - date for 2017

According to the Muslim calendar, this is always the 10th day of the month of Muharram. At the same time, just before the holiday, fasting is observed, which lasts 2-3 days. So, in 2017, Ashura Day is celebrated on October 1st.

Holiday traditions

Since one of the prophets of Islam, Hussein, died on this day, the Day of Ashura can rather be called mourning. According to tradition, every time Muslims carry out a procession dedicated to him. Many cultural institutions try to tell visitors about the life of the prophet - these are theatrical performances, stories, songs, concerts, and so on.

Arbaeen in 2017 - November 9

This day is also dedicated to the Prophet Hussein - this is a wake that is held for 40 days of mourning after his death. This day recalls the heroism and courage of Hussein, who was able to resist the usurpers Umayds and Abbasids.

Arbaeen holiday date

From the description and meaning of the holiday, you can guess that it is celebrated on the fortieth day after the Day of Ashura. This event usually falls on the 20th day of the month of Safar, that is, in 2017 we will celebrate Arbain on November 9th.

Holiday traditions

This day is called by many one of the largest gatherings of people. Muslims in Arbain organize pilgrimages to holy places, and the most important part of the program is the reading of surahs at the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina. This tradition got its name - Ziyarat; this part of the ritual also includes the obligatory decoration of the tomb and sacrifice. In addition, every self-respecting Muslim tries on this day to show his kindness and help those in need: give alms, food, money, and so on.

Miraj in 2017 - April 25

The festival of Miraj is dedicated to the dream of Muhammad, when the Archangel Gabriel ascended him to heaven. According to legend, Allah then showed him both hell and heaven, and then allowed him to appear before his throne. Also in this dream, Muhammad had the opportunity to communicate with other prophets.

Miraj holiday date

On April 25, 2017, all Muslims will celebrate Miraj. If we talk about the lunar calendar and Islamic traditions, they celebrate it on the 27th of the month of Rajab.

Holiday traditions

It is noteworthy that in different cities traditions and rituals may differ slightly. For example, in some it is customary to eat food as always, but in others, on the contrary, to abstain completely, and still others, perhaps, try to simply eat vegetable dietary dishes. However, they are united by one tradition that is observed everywhere. After sunset, every Muslim family sets a rich table with an abundance of meat and fish dishes, and be sure to invite relatives and close friends. Hands are washed before and after the meal, and guests are given a special bowl of water to perform this ritual. Before starting dinner, Muslims say: “O Allah, bless this food and save us from hell.” But at the end: “Thanks be to Allah, who sent us food and drink and made us Muslims.” Only the head of the family and the owner of the house should start the meal, and then everyone else.

Juma holiday

Juma is a day specially designated by Allah and dedicated to the Muslim community. It is believed that on this day Adam was created, introduced into paradise, and in the future, according to Muslim prophecies, the Last Judgment will occur on Juma.

Juma holiday date

Juma does not have a clear established date, since it is the same as Sunday in our understanding. This holiday occurs on every Friday of every week.

Holiday traditions

As we have already mentioned that Juma was established in honor of the Muslim community. That is, so that all believers on this day always gather and perform Friday Juma prayer, which, in fact, is what Muslims do to this day. Also, many believe that all good deeds done on this day will be more highly valued, which means the reward will double.

Muslim New Year 2017 (Hijri New Year)

It is from this day that the Muslim lunar calendar begins. Despite many differences in terms of traditions on this holiday, they still have something in common with us. According to popular belief, as you spend the month of Muharram, the whole year will pass.

Holiday date: Muslim New Year

The Muslim New Year is celebrated on the 1st of the Muslim month of Muharram. In 2017 it is September 22. Although this holiday is considered the New Year in Islam, it is not included in the number of official holidays and is not celebrated as it is done here.

Holiday traditions

As you already understand, there are no special traditions on this day. Usually a special fast is observed throughout the month - As-saum. According to the canons of Islam, eating and drinking water, various entertainments, incense, bathing, smoking and sexual intercourse are prohibited during daylight hours. At night, all prohibitions are lifted, however, many clergy do not advise allowing yourself too much.

Navruz is a special holiday. This is not just the starting point of the new year according to the solar calendar adopted by many Turkic peoples. This is a real holiday of renewal, the day of the spring equinox, the beginning of a new life. Nowruz is celebrated by the peoples of the Turkic and Iranian groups, and for many years now it has been celebrated in the capital of our country. What Navruz 2018 will be like in Moscow, what are the traditions and customs of the holiday when Navruz is celebrated - about all this in our article.

Today, the day of the vernal equinox - March 21 - is widely accepted as the date for the celebration of Navruz. In many countries, Navruz is included in the list of public holidays, and therefore non-working days.

It is worth noting that the name of the holiday may differ slightly among different nations, although the general consonance remains:

• Bashkir and Tatar - Nauruz, among the Crimean Tatars - Navrez;
• Turkmen - Novruz;
• Uzbek and Tajik – Navruz;
• Kyrgyz – Nooruz;
• Turkish – Nevruz;
• Kazakh – Nauryz; In Kazakhstan, I celebrate the holiday for three days – from March 21 to March 23 inclusive.

Due to its massive nature and distribution area, Nowruz was included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list, and March 21 was officially declared International Nowruz Day.

Traditions and customs

Navruz is a holiday of renewal and spring, and therefore it should be celebrated cheerfully: with songs, dances, games and rich food.

An ancient tradition prescribes entering the New Year “clean” - and a few days before the holiday it was necessary to clean the house and around it, wash all the clothes, and clean the carpets. But purity must be not only physical, but also mental - and by Navruz it was necessary to fulfill all the promises made earlier, ask for forgiveness for the harm and offense caused, and pay off debts.

Hafsin and hafshin

Navruz is a very ancient holiday, filled with sacred meaning, many rituals, the meaning of which has faded over the centuries. Thus, special significance is attached to the number seven on the holiday. An example of this is the traditional feast. When setting the tables, seven items beginning with the letters “S” and “W” must be placed on them. This results in two festive tables - “haftsin” and “haftshin”, where “haft” is translated as “seven” from Persian, and “sin” and “shin” are the names of the letters “S” and “Sh”, respectively, in the Persian alphabet.

Sumalak

An indispensable dish on the festive table of Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Azerbaijanis is sumalak (sumanak). They start preparing it a few days before Navruz. Seven to ten days before the holiday, selected wheat grains are soaked in a large basin. The basin is covered with a clean cloth and set aside in a warm place to boil - the wheat should germinate. The longer the sprouts, the richer and more productive the coming new year will be. On the eve of the holiday, the sprouted grains are poured into a metal or stone mortar and thoroughly pounded - the result should be an almost homogeneous mass.

Then the contents of the stupa are transferred to a cauldron, I add flour, pour water over everything and cook for a long, long time over low heat. It usually takes ten to twelve hours to cook sumalak; The main thing is to have time to finish preparing the main dish before dawn on the day of Nowruz. According to tradition, only women should prepare it; A man's hand should not touch sumalak during the cooking process. The dish turns out to be quite sweet, but not cloying, with a consistency reminiscent of liquid chocolate. Sumalak on Navruz is given special significance, and therefore everyone rushes to treat it to everyone: relatives, friends, and neighbors.

Baursaki

Kazakhs, Tatars, and Bashkirs always put baursaks on the table. A traditional dish, often served on holidays, is considered the main decoration of the table on Navruz. In essence, baursak is a piece of dough fried in boiling oil, but even here, each nation has its own characteristics. Some believe that the dough must certainly be sweet, others prefer to pour honey and molasses on the baursaks, but the general tradition is still the same: the dough for baursaks is placed the day before the holiday, and only the women of the family must prepare the dish, usually under the supervision of the eldest , mother or wife of the head of the family.

Ecuadorian authorities have denied Julian Assange asylum at the London embassy. The founder of WikiLeaks was detained by British police, and this has already been called the biggest betrayal in the history of Ecuador. Why are they taking revenge on Assange and what awaits him?

Australian programmer and journalist Julian Assange became widely known after the website WikiLeaks, which he founded, published secret documents from the US State Department in 2010, as well as materials related to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But it was quite difficult to find out who the police were leading out of the building, supporting him by the arms. Assange had grown a beard and looked nothing like the energetic man he had previously appeared in photographs.

According to Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, Assange was denied asylum due to his repeated violations of international conventions.

He is expected to remain in custody at a central London police station until he appears at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Why is the President of Ecuador accused of treason?

Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa called the current government's decision the biggest betrayal in the country's history. “What he (Moreno - editor’s note) did is a crime that humanity will never forget,” Correa said.

London, on the contrary, thanked Moreno. The British Foreign Office believes that justice has triumphed. The representative of the Russian diplomatic department, Maria Zakharova, has a different opinion. “The hand of “democracy” is squeezing the throat of freedom,” she noted. The Kremlin expressed hope that the rights of the arrested person will be respected.

Ecuador sheltered Assange because the former president had left-of-center views, criticized U.S. policies and welcomed WikiLeaks' release of secret documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even before the Internet activist needed asylum, he managed to personally meet Correa: he interviewed him for the Russia Today channel.

However, in 2017, the government in Ecuador changed, and the country set a course towards rapprochement with the United States. The new president called Assange “a stone in his shoe” and immediately made it clear that his stay on the embassy premises would not be prolonged.

According to Correa, the moment of truth came at the end of June last year, when US Vice President Michael Pence arrived in Ecuador for a visit. Then everything was decided. “You have no doubt: Lenin is simply a hypocrite. He has already agreed with the Americans on the fate of Assange. And now he is trying to make us swallow the pill, saying that Ecuador is supposedly continuing the dialogue,” Correa said in an interview with the Russia Today channel.

How Assange made new enemies

The day before his arrest, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristin Hrafnsson said that Assange was under total surveillance. “WikiLeaks uncovered a large-scale spy operation against Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy,” he noted. According to him, cameras and voice recorders were placed around Assange, and the information received was transferred to the Donald Trump administration.

Hrafnsson clarified that Assange was going to be expelled from the embassy a week earlier. This did not happen only because WikiLeaks released this information. A high-ranking source told the portal about the plans of the Ecuadorian authorities, but the head of the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry, Jose Valencia, denied the rumors.

Assange's expulsion was preceded by the corruption scandal surrounding Moreno. In February, WikiLeaks published a package of INA Papers, which traced the operations of the offshore company INA Investment, founded by the brother of the Ecuadorian leader. Quito said it was a conspiracy between Assange and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and former Ecuadorian leader Rafael Correa to overthrow Moreno.

In early April, Moreno complained about Assange's behavior at Ecuador's London mission. “We must protect the life of Mr. Assange, but he has already crossed all boundaries in terms of violating the agreement that we came to with him,” the president said. “This does not mean that he cannot speak freely, but he cannot lie and hack.” ". At the same time, back in February last year it became known that Assange at the embassy was deprived of the opportunity to interact with the outside world, in particular, his Internet access was cut off.

Why Sweden stopped its prosecution of Assange

At the end of last year, Western media, citing sources, reported that Assange would be charged in the United States. This was never officially confirmed, but it was because of Washington’s position that Assange had to take refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy six years ago.

In May 2017, Sweden stopped investigating two rape cases in which the portal’s founder was accused. Assange demanded compensation from the country's government for legal costs in the amount of 900 thousand euros.

Earlier, in 2015, Swedish prosecutors also dropped three charges against him due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Where did the investigation into the rape case lead?

Assange arrived in Sweden in the summer of 2010, hoping to receive protection from American authorities. But he was investigated for rape. In November 2010, a warrant was issued for his arrest in Stockholm, and Assange was put on the international wanted list. He was detained in London, but was soon released on bail of 240 thousand pounds.

In February 2011, a British court decided to extradite Assange to Sweden, after which a number of successful appeals followed for the WikiLeaks founder.

British authorities placed him under house arrest before deciding whether to extradite him to Sweden. Breaking his promise to the authorities, Assange asked for asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy, ​​which was granted to him. Since then, the UK has had its own claims against the WikiLeaks founder.

What awaits Assange now?

The man was re-arrested on a US extradition request for publishing classified documents, police said. At the same time, Deputy Head of the British Foreign Ministry Alan Duncan said that Assange would not be sent to the United States if he faced the death penalty there.

In the UK, Assange is likely to appear in court on the afternoon of April 11. This is stated on the WikiLeaks Twitter page. British authorities are likely to seek a maximum sentence of 12 months, the man's mother said, citing his lawyer.

At the same time, Swedish prosecutors are considering reopening the rape investigation. Attorney Elizabeth Massey Fritz, who represented the victim, will seek this.