Tuesday June 19/12 update #2
Here is a press release reported today on the official Ecuadorian
government website (translated by Google so it is a little stilted):
The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration has reported today that Mr. Julian
Assange of Australian nationality, resident in the UK, was presented at the
headquarters of the Diplomatic Mission of Ecuador in London asking for
government protection of Ecuador, arguing that with a "regrettable factual
statement of abandonment received by the authorities of my country, Australia,
which state that will not defend or even my minimum guarantees to any
government and delegated to the constitution of a foreign country that applies
the death penalty for the crime of espionage and treason, and the guarantees it
offers to its nationals, ignoring the obligation to protect its citizen, who is
persecuted politically. Such
statements make it impossible for my return to my home country and put me in a
state of helplessness to be requested for questioning by the Kingdom of Sweden,
where its top officials have openly attacked me, and investigated for political
crimes in the United States of America, a country where the death penalty for
such offenses is still in force. "
The
Government of Ecuador is evaluating the request of Mr. Julian Assange and any
decision on it will take into account respect for the rules and principles of
international law and the traditional policy of Ecuador to safeguarding human
rights.
The
Foreign Ministry has officially informed about this situation to the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office through the Embassy of Ecuador in the United Kingdom and the British diplomatic
mission in Quito.
~~~~~~
For those unfamiliar with the name of Julian Assange, here is information via
Wikipedia:
19 June 2012 Last updated at 20:58 GMT
Mr Assange is facing extradition to Sweden from Britain for questioning over alleged sex crimes
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is seeking political asylum at Ecuador's London embassy, the country's foreign minister has said.
"Ecuador is studying and analysing the request," Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters in Quito.
On 14 June, Britain's Supreme Court dismissed Mr Assange's bid to reopen his appeal against extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes.
He has denied the allegations, saying they are politically motivated.
The Supreme Court has given him until 28 June before extradition proceedings can start.
Swedish prosecutors want to question him over allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two female former Wikileaks volunteers in mid-2010 but have not filed any charges.
Mr Assange, whose Wikileaks website has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments and international businesses, claims the sex was consensual.
'Minimum guarantees'
In a statement, Ecuador's embassy said he had arrived there on Tuesday afternoon to seek asylum.
"As a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights, with an obligation to review all applications for asylum, we have immediately passed his application on to the relevant department in Quito," it said.
"While the department assesses Mr Assange's application, Mr Assange will remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorean government."
It said the decision to consider the bid for asylum "should in no way be interpreted as the government of Ecuador interfering in the judicial processes of either the United Kingdom or Sweden."
Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said Mr Assange had claimed he was being persecuted
Mr Assange issued a statement, saying he was "grateful to the Ecuadorean ambassador and the government of Ecuador for considering my application".
Associated Press quoted Mr Patino as telling reporters Mr Assange had written to Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa saying he was being persecuted.
Mr Patino said that the Australian had claimed "the authorities in his country will not defend his minimum guarantees in front of any government".
Mr Assange said he would not be protected from being extradited to "a foreign country that applies the death penalty for the crime of espionage and sedition," Mr Patino said.
The anti-secrecy campaigner fears extradition to Sweden may lead to him being sent to the US to face separate charges relating to Wikileaks, for which he could face the death penalty.
Swedish assurance
But Swedish authorities have said the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) would intervene if Mr Assange was to face the prospect of "inhuman or degrading treatment or an unfair trial" in the US.
Mr Assange could still take his case against extradition to the ECHR and has until 28 June to make the move.
Vaughan Smith, a friend who put Mr Assange up at his Norfolk home until December 2011, told the BBC he understood why he was seeking asylum.
"There's been an organised campaign to undermine him in recent months in Britain," Mr Smith said. "And he believed he would not get justice in Sweden."
Wikileaks has posted an alert on its Twitter feed: "ALERT: Julian Assange has requested political asylum and is under the protection of the Ecuadorian embassy in London."
It said Ecuador had offered asylum as early as November 2010.
Ecuador's deputy foreign minister said in 2010 his country was offering Mr Assange residency because it wanted to give him the opportunity to freely present the information he had.
However, President Rafael Correa subsequently dismissed the idea, which he said neither he nor Mr Patino had approved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why Ecuador is involving itself in this sordid affair is beyond me. Do they think he is some kind of hero? Or is Correa just trying to snub his nose at the US and Britain? It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
