Julian Assange: Ecuador grants Wikileaks founder asylum - BBC News BBC News Julian Assange: Ecuador grants Wikileaks founder asylum 16 August 2012 Image copyright AP Image caption Julian Assange's Wikileaks website published leaked diplomatic cables Ecuador has granted asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange two months after he took refuge in its London embassy while fighting extradition from the UK. It said his human rights might be violated if he is sent to Sweden to be questioned over sex assault claims. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK would not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the country and the move was also criticised by Stockholm. Ecuador said it would seek to negotiate arrangements for Mr Assange to leave. "We don't think it is reasonable that, after a sovereign government has made the decision of granting political asylum, a citizen is forced to live in an embassy for a long period," Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said. Mr Assange took refuge at the embassy in June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over assault and rape claims, which he denies. Mr Patino had accused the UK of making an "open threat" to enter its embassy to arrest Mr Assange, an Australian national.

Media captionEcuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino: "We believe that his fears are legitimate" Mr Assange said being granted political asylum by Ecuador was a "significant victory" and thanked staff in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. However, as the Foreign Office insisted the decision would not affect the UK's legal obligation to extradite him to Sweden, Mr Assange warned: "Things will get more stressful now." "It was not Britain or my home country, Australia, that stood up to protect me from persecution, but a courageous, independent Latin American nation," said Mr Assange, who watched the announcement with embassy staff in a live link to a press conference in Quito. "While today is a historic victory, our struggles have just begun. The unprecedented US investigation against Wikileaks must be stopped. Analysis By Dominic CascianiHome affairs correspondent Political asylum is not available to anyone facing a serious non-political crime - such as the allegations levelled against Mr Assange. But does his new status mean he can now leave his Swedish problems behind? No. Asylum does not equal immunity from prosecution - and Julian Assange needs safe passage through UK territory that he won't get. Mr Assange knows he can't leave without risking arrest by officers waiting outside.

The police can't enter the embassy unless the government revokes its status. Embassy vehicles are protected by law from police searches - but how could he get into an Ecuadorean car without being apprehended? And what happens after he's in the car? At some point he will have to get out again. Stranger things have happened. In 1984 there was an attempt to smuggle a Nigerian man from the UK in a so-called "diplomatic bag" protected from inspection. The bag was in fact a large crate - and customs officers successfully intercepted it at the airport. "While today much of the focus will be on the decision of the Ecuadorean government, it is just as important that we remember Bradley Manning has been detained without trial for over 800 days," he said, referring to the former US soldier accused of leaking government material to Wikileaks . Mr Assange is expected to make a statement in front of the embassy on Sunday at 14:00 BST, according to the Wikileaks Twitter feed. 'Legal obligation' Announcing Ecuador's decision, Mr Patino launched a strong attack on the UK for what he said was an "explicit type of blackmail".

The UK Foreign Office had warned, in a note, that it could lift the embassy's diplomatic status to fulfil a "legal obligation" to extradite the 41-year-old by using the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 . That allows the UK to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr Assange for breaching the terms of his bail. Mr Hague said it was a "matter of regret" that the Ecuadorean government decided to grant Mr Assange political asylum but warned that it "does not change the fundamentals" of the case. He also warned that it could drag on for some "considerable" time. "We will not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the United Kingdom, nor is there any legal basis for us to do so," he said. Media captionScuffles broke out outside the Ecuadorean embassy Mr Hague said there was "no threat" to storm the embassy. "We are talking about an Act of Parliament in this country which stresses that it must be used in full conformity with international law," he said.

Mr Patino said Ecuador believed Mr Assange's fears of political persecution were "legitimate" and said his country was being loyal to its tradition of protecting those who were vulnerable. He later told BBC Mundo that conditions were attached to the asylum. "We placed the same type of conditions that are the norm in international relations, such as him [Mr Assange] not making political statements that could affect our relations with friendly countries." The Foreign Office said it was "disappointed" by the Ecuador statement and said it remained committed to reaching a "negotiated solution" that would allow it to carry out its "obligations under the Extradition Act". This means Mr Assange's arrest would still be sought if he left the embassy. Sweden summons ambassador The Swedish government reacted angrily to Mr Patino's suggestion that Mr Assange would not be treated fairly by its justice system, summoning Ecuador's ambassador to explain. At the scene By Stuart HughesBBC News Julian Assange's small, but vocal, band of supporters chanted loudly and marched along the street in front of the Ecuadorean Embassy when the news filtered through from Quito.

They, like the man they have come here to support, regard Ecuador's decision as a significant victory against the UK, US and Sweden, all of which they claim are trying to silence Mr Assange. But Mr Assange's supporters also know there's little chance of the man they regard as a hero of free speech making a public appearance on the pavement opposite the world-famous green awnings of the Harrods department store. He would very likely be arrested if he stepped outside the Ecuadorean Embassy, where he is - for the moment at least - still protected by the diplomatic immunity granted to foreign government buildings on UK soil. Mr Assange is locked in a diplomatic and political stalemate. Ecuador may have granted him asylum, but he still has nowhere to go. "The accusations... are serious, and it is unacceptable that Ecuador would want to halt the Swedish judicial process and European judicial co-operation," said Anders Joerle, spokesman for the Swedish foreign ministry. The Organisation of American States called a special meeting at its Washington headquarters on Thursday to discuss the Ecuador-UK relationship, specifically Ecuador's diplomatic premises in the UK.

The Union of South American Nations, meanwhile, has convened an "extraordinary meeting" in Ecuador on Sunday to consider "the situation raised at the embassy". Mr Assange entered the embassy after the UK's Supreme Court dismissed his bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period before extradition proceedings could start. It was during that fortnight, while on bail, that he sought refuge. A subsequent offer by Ecuador to allow Swedish investigators to interview Mr Assange inside the embassy was rejected. The Wikileaks website Mr Assange founded published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly that of the US, in 2010. Mr Assange says he fears that if extradited to Sweden, he will then be passed on to the American authorities. In 2010, two female Wikileaks supporters accused Mr Assange of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture. Mr Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated. Ecuador Grants Julian Assange Asylum - The New York Times The New York Times Americas |Ecuador Grants Asylum to Assange, Defying Britain Search By WILLIAM NEUMAN and MAGGY AYALA AUG.

16, 2012 Photo Outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London on Thursday. Credit Will Oliver/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images CARACAS, Venezuela — Ecuador forcefully rejected pressure from Britain and announced Thursday that it was granting political asylum to Julian Assange , the founder of WikiLeaks , who has been holed up for two months in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London trying to avoid extradition to Sweden. The decision, citing the possibility that Mr. Assange could face “political persecution” or be sent to the United States to face the death penalty, escalated the unusually sharp strains between Ecuador and Britain, and drew an angry rebuttal from Sweden. The Ecuadorean move protects Mr. Assange from British arrest, but only on Ecuadorean territory, leaving him vulnerable if he tries to leave the embassy to head to an airport or train station. Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, made the announcement at a news conference in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito. “The government of Ecuador, faithful to its tradition of protecting those who seek refuge in its territory or in its diplomatic missions, has decided to grant diplomatic asylum to Julian Assange,” he said, reading from a government communiqué.

He added, “There are indications to presume that there could be political persecution,” and said Mr. Assange would not get a fair trial in the United States and could face the death penalty there. Continue reading the main story Mr. Patiño said he hoped that Britain would permit Mr. Assange to leave the embassy for Ecuador. But at a news conference on Thursday in London, the British foreign secretary, William Hague, repeated the government’s stance that Britain was legally bound to to extradite Mr. Assange to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over accusations that he sexually assaulted two women. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Tensions between Britain and Ecuador had been building over Britain’s efforts to secure a handover of Mr. Assange. Mr. Hague described a multitude of negotiations for a handover, including “seven formal discussions as well as many other conversations.” But Wednesday night, Mr.

Patiño said the British authorities had threatened to force their way into the embassy, adding, “We are not a British colony.” On Thursday, just before the announcement of asylum, President Rafael Correa said on his Twitter account: “No one is going to terrorize us!” The president of the National Assembly of Ecuador called a special session for Thursday evening to discuss the perceived threat against the embassy by the British government. Photo British police officers arrest a protester in support of Julian Assange in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Credit Sang Tan/Associated Press The British Foreign Office said it was disappointed by the Ecuadorean announcement but remained committed to a negotiated outcome to the standoff. Sweden’s foreign minister, Carl Bildt, rejected the suggestion that Sweden would be involved in any kind of persecution. “Our firm legal and constitutional system guarantees the rights of each and everyone,” he wrote on Twitter . “ We firmly reject any accusations to the contrary.” A spokesman for Sweden’s Foreign Ministry, Anders Jorle, said the country’s legal system had been impugned and the Ecuadorean ambassador had been summoned. In Sweden, Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer representing the two women who have accused Mr.

Assange of sexual abuses, told the online newspaper Expressen.se that the women had expected the decision but still thought it absurd and were disappointed. “Assange is a coward,” Mr. Borgstrom said. “He is accused of assault, but he is totally uninterested in my clients. He has shifted his focus elsewhere.” Mr. Patiño’s news conference was broadcast live on British television and Mr. Assange watched the announcement as it happened, British news reports said. He told embassy staff members: “It is a significant victory for myself and my people. Things will probably get more stressful now.” Outside the embassy, a small red brick apartment block behind Harrods department store in the upscale Knightsbridge neighborhood, a protester with a megaphone provided sporadic updates on the progress of the news conference in Quito. When it became clear that Mr. Assange had won asylum, the response was a muted joy. “It’s great news,” said a youth worker, 21, who gave his name only as James. “As long as Britain honors his right to asylum,” he added, outlining his hope that the British government would allow Mr. Assange to leave the country without arresting him.

If that does not happen, he said, gesturing to the protesters around him, “this will only get bigger.” Like many of the protesters, the youth worker said he believed that the accusations of sexual abuse against Mr. Assage were part of a conspiracy to silence WikiLeaks. “Textbook character assassination,” he said. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Speculation immediately turned to whether, and how, Mr. Assange might seek to escape. Mr. Patiño said his government had made its decision after the authorities in Britain, Sweden and the United States refused to give guarantees that if Mr. Assange were extradited to Sweden, he would not then be sent on to the United States to face other charges. Photo Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, arriving at the Supreme Court in London in February. Credit Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press Those close to Mr. Assange have said that he fears ending up in the United States, which could bring charges over WikiLeaks’s release in 2010 of thousands of secret documents and diplomatic cables relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to American relations with other governments. Mr.

Jorle, the Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman, said there had been no request from the United States for custody of Mr. Assange. Some analysts said that Ecuador had entered a high-stakes game on Mr. Assange’s behalf. Mauricio Gándara, a former ambassador for Ecuador in London, warned that by granting him asylum, Ecuador risked jeopardizing trade ties with England and other European Union countries. In 2011 about 28 percent of Ecuador’s nonpetroleum exports went to the European Union, according to government data. Nonpetroleum exports to the United Kingdom were $139 million last year. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy “What Ecuador is doing is a very delicate thing,” Mr. Gándara said. “Ecuador is risking its economic interests for this adventure of defending Mr. Assange.” He said that he was not aware of any previous dispute of similar magnitude between the two countries. Mr. Assange arrived at the embassy on June 19, seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Jérémie Zimmerman, a friend who has spoken with him recently, said Mr. Assange had found the narrowing of his horizons hard. “It is quite difficult not to be able to get out in the street for all this time,” he said. “He lived for so many years free, without even a home to limit him. And now he is isolated.” The WikiLeaks founder sleeps on an air mattress in a small office that has been converted to a bedroom, according to accounts of those who have visited him. He has access to a computer and continues to oversee WikiLeaks, his lieutenants have said. Reporters outside the building have seen food being delivered from nearby restaurants. Photo British police officers stood guard outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Thursday. Credit Sang Tan/Associated Press His presence is a challenge for employees of the embassy. One British government official, citing a conversation with a member of the embassy staff, said the situation was surreal. Advertisement Continue reading the main story A diplomat familiar with Mr. Assange’s situation said he spent his time in a back room, which gets no direct sunlight. Several weeks ago he had a bad cold and appeared depressed, the source said.

“He can’t get outside to see the sun,” his mother, Christine Assange, said in a recent interview conducted in Quito for BBC Mundo, a BBC Web site. “I’m worried about his health, as I would be for anybody who is having to stay indoors and not get exercise and have sunlight.” She said some of Mr. Assange’s friends have encouraged him to play music and dance as a way of getting physical activity and had also brought sunlamps. Although WikiLeaks has shrunk substantially during the 20 months of Mr. Assange’s legal battle in Britain, losing many of its most skilled computer experts along with several of Mr. Assange’s closest associates in building the organization, it continues to issue statements about his plight. On Thursday, ahead of the Ecuadorean decision, it issued a new, unsigned statement describing Britain’s warning that it might suspend the embassy’s immunity as part of an action to arrest Mr. Assange as a “resort to intimidation” and a breach of the Vienna Convention governing diplomatic relations between states. “We remind the public that these extraordinary actions are being taken to detain a man who has not been charged with any crime in any country,” the statement said. “We further urge the U.K.

government to show restraint, and to consider the dire ramifications of any violation of the elementary norms of international law.” It struck many as odd that Mr. Assange, who shot to fame as a fighter for media freedom, chose Ecuador as a potential refuge. Mr. Correa has presided over a crackdown on journalists there. But when Mr. Assange arrived at the embassy, he issued a statement saying that Mr. Correa had invited him to seek asylum in Ecuador during an interview for Mr. Assange’s TV show on Russia Today, an English-language cable channel financed by the government of Vladimir V. Putin. William Neuman reported from Caracas, and Maggy Ayala from Quito, Ecuador. John F. Burns, Ravi Somaiya and Alan Cowell contributed reporting from London; and Christine Anderson from Stockholm. WikiLeaks founder Assange seeks asylum at Ecuador embassy - Asian Correspondent WikiLeaks founder Assange seeks asylum at Ecuador embassy Share this on | @AP WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Pic: AP.

LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange has made a run for the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, seeking asylum in a long shot move that, if successful, would place him in a small, friendly South American country rather than in Sweden facing questioning about alleged sex crimes. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Pic: AP. Tuesday’s unexpected caper has added a new and bizarre twist to Assange’s increasingly desperate bid to avoid extradition to Scandinavia. Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said the leftist government of President Rafael Correa — an administration often at odds with Washington — was weighing the request, although he did not indicate when a decision might be made. Assange said in a brief statement that he was grateful “to the Ecuadorean ambassador and the government of Ecuador for considering my application.” Assange’s legal options in the U.K. had almost completely run out. Less than a week ago Britain’s Supreme Court re-endorsed its decision to allow the 40-year-old’s extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted over sex crimes allegations. The accusations — which stem from Assange’s trip to the country in mid-2010 — have cast a cloud over his online organization’s spectacular leaks of U.S.

military, diplomatic, and intelligence material. Ecuador — where less than one in three people have access to the Web — may seem an unlikely place for the former computer hacker to seek refuge, but in many ways it’s an obvious choice. “It’s one of the few countries that has given a great opening to Assange’s entire cause,” said Grace Jaramillo, an international relations professor at Ecuador’s FLACSO university. “Correa sees Assange as a critic of the status quo,” he said. “He has been challenging the United States and Correa likes that.” Assange argues that extradition to Sweden is a first step in efforts to remove him to the United States, where he claims to have been secretly indicted over his disclosure of 250,000 State Department cables. He has spent the better part of two years fighting the move through the British courts. But legal experts said Assange’s flight to the Ecuadorean embassy was a desperate one. U.K. extradition specialist Karen Todner said she couldn’t make sense of the move, while Michael Scharf, based at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, said he didn’t believe Assange could be given asylum status.

“I think they are going to end up asking him to leave the premises,” said Scharf. Ecuador’s mission in London said in a statement that Assange would “remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorean government,” while his application was considered. Britain’s foreign ministry said it was working with Ecuadorean authorities to resolve the situation, but gave few other details. Aside from Assange’s brief statement, WikiLeaks did not elaborate on its leader’s plans. Nearly a dozen calls, texts and emails seeking further comment from WikiLeaks and its staff weren’t returned. Patino, speaking at a news conference in Quito, the Ecuadorean capital, gave the fullest account of Assange’s reasoning, saying he had personally written to Correa to ask for asylum. Assange, who is Australian, had argued that “the authorities in his country will not defend his minimum guarantees before any government or ignore the obligation to protect a politically persecuted citizen.” Patino said. That may be a reference to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who last month said that her country could not protect Assange from other countries’ justice systems. Ecuador has made friendly noises about Assange in the past.

In the November 2010, at the height of the media storm over WikiLeaks’ disclosures, its government appeared to offer him sanctuary, and on Assange’s newly-launched television talk show — which interviewed Correa via videolink earlier this year — the pair swapped jokes and messages of encouragement. It was during the interview that Assange received an offer of asylum, according to a woman who was present during the shows and familiar with the offer. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media. It was not immediately clear if the offer came directly from the president himself, although at one point Correa saluted WikiLeaks and told Assange to take courage. “Welcome to the club of those who are persecuted!” said Correa, whose government has been assailed by human rights and press freedom activists for using Ecuador’s criminal libel law in sympathetic courts against journalists from the country’s biggest newspaper, El Universo. Assange and his allies had been in discussions over a possible attempt to seek sanctuary in Ecuador since last weekend, according to a person familiar with the matter.

“His concern was that once he arrived in Sweden he would be held in custody and would not have a chance to seek sanctuary again,” the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. The person claimed that Assange had explained his reasons for seeking sanctuary to those who put up bail, but Jemima Khan, a celebrity journalist who supports Assange, said she was caught off guard by the news. “I had expected him to face the allegations,” she said in a message posted to Twitter. “I am as surprised as anyone by this.” It wasn’t immediately clear whether the escape to the Ecuadorean Embassy would invalidate Assange’s strict bail conditions, or whether the 200,000 pounds (roughly $315,000) put up by his supporters would be forfeited. British officials declined to say whether Assange had skipped bail or whether they were now seeking his arrest. Assange will be free from U.K. authorities so long as he remains at the Ecuadorean Embassy, but it’s unclear how he could hope to get from the mission, based in London’s wealthy Knightsbridge neighborhood, to Ecuador itself.

The embassy’s buzzer rang unanswered Tuesday, although several times an unidentified figure peeked out from behind the curtain to look at reporters clustered around the building’s entrance. At one point two men emerged from the building; neither addressed the assembled media, but one bore a folio entitled “Diplomatic Law.” Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer representing the two Swedish women with claims against Assange, told Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter late Tuesday that Assange’s latest move was a delaying tactic. “It’s tragic for the two clients that I represent,” he was quoted as saying. “I can’t imagine that this will lead anywhere.” Read Full Article Julian Assange Granted Asylum By Ecuador; Britain Vows To Extradite Him To Sweden | The Huffington Post Julian Assange Granted Asylum By Ecuador; Britain Vows To Extradite Him To Sweden 08/16/2012 08:39 am ET | Updated Oct 16, 2012 15k Jack Mirkinson Senior Media Editor, The Huffington Post WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange was granted political asylum by Ecuador on Thursday, setting up a standoff with the British government, which has vowed to block his exit from the country.

The announcement was made by the Ecuadorian foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño. He said that Ecuador was granting Assange political asylum because it believed he was being persecuted for his actions as the head of WikiLeaks. "The Ecuador government, loyal to its tradition to protect those who seek refuge with us at our diplomatic missions, has decided to grant diplomatic asylum to Mr. Assange," he said . Applause greeted his announcement. Assange remains holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he fled to avoid extradition charges to Sweden. He is wanted there to face allegations of rape, but he fears that he will be swiftly transferred to the United States, where he says he could be prosecuted for leaking classified material through WikiLeaks. Sweden has denied that it has any such intentions. A lawyer for the women who have accused Assange of sexually assaulting them told Reuters that the idea was "absurd," and that Assange needed to be "brought to justice." But one of Assange's lawyers, Michael Ratner, said on "Democracy Now!" that the threat was very real. "If Julian Assange were to go to Sweden, he would be put in jail immediately. He is not allowed to get bail in Sweden," he said. "...At that point, the U.S.

files its extradition request." Speaking in the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, Patiño said that his country had offered to allow Assange's extradition to Sweden if it would guarantee that he would not be moved to the US, but that Sweden had not agreed. He denounced the UK threat to carry out its arrest orders, calling it an attempt at "blackmail," and said that Ecuador believed that Assange could not get a fair trial in the US. "It is not impossible that he would be treated in a cruel manner, condemned to life in prison, or even the death penalty," Patiño said. In a statement on Twitter, the British foreign office said that it was "disappointed" by the decision, and vowed to extradite him to Sweden — a warning that experts told the AP stands on shaky legal ground. "Under our law, with Mr Assange having exhausted all options of appeal UK authorities are under binding obligation to extradite him to Sweden," the statement continued. "We shall carry out that obligation. The Ecuadorian Government's decision this afternoon does not change that.

We remain committed to a negotiated solution that allows us to carry out our obligations under the Extradition Act." Later, Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that the government has refused to allow Assange safe passage out of the country. "We will not allow Mr. Assange safe passage out of the UK, nor is there any legal basis for us to do so," he said. "The UK does not accept the principle of diplomatic asylum ... Moreover, it is well established that, even for those countries which do recognise diplomatic asylum, it should not be used for the purposes of escaping the regular processes of the courts. And in this case that is clearly what is happening." The British insistence on extradition means that it is still unclear whether, or how, Assange will be able to leave the UK. For the moment, he cannot leave the embassy without risking arrest, and the British cannot enter the embassy unless they revoke its diplomatic status. Ecuadorian officials told the New York Times that he will likely remain in the embassy indefinitely.

Speaking from inside the embassy, Assange called the decision a "significant victory," adding that his situation is likely to get more "stressful." Also on HuffPost: Julian Assange: UK seeks diplomacy with Ecuador - BBC News BBC News Julian Assange: UK seeks diplomacy with Ecuador 20 August 2012 Image copyright PA Image caption Mr Assange made his first public statement since entering the embassy on Sunday The UK has insisted it will not grant Julian Assange "safe passage" to Ecuador as it seeks a diplomatic solution to him being given asylum. Downing Street said the government was obliged to extradite Mr Assange to Sweden where he faces questioning over sex assault claims, which he denies. The Wikileaks founder has been staying at Ecuador's London Embassy since June. South American nations have pledged support for Ecuador after the UK said it could legally enter the building. The Supreme Court in May dismissed Mr Assange's bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period before extradition proceedings could start. "We hope that we can reach a diplomatic solution and we are doing what we can to achieve that," Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said. "Under our law, having exhausted all the options of appeal, we are obliged to extradite him to Sweden.

It is our intention to carry out that obligation. "We will continue talking to the Ecuadorean government and others to try to find a diplomatic solution." South American unity Last week Ecuador described as a "threat" a UK letter that drew attention to the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, which could allow it to potentially lift the embassy's diplomatic status to allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr Assange for breaching his bail terms. The Foreign Office later said the letter had been sent to clarify "all aspects of British law that Ecuador should be aware of". Image copyright AFP Image caption The South American foreign ministers expressed support for Ecuador It has said it will follow its obligations, under the Extradition Act, to arrest Mr Assange if he leaves the embassy. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Union of South American Nations agreed a document which said it supported the country "in the face of the threat" to its London embassy. After Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino finished reading the final declaration from the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) summit, he joined hands with his fellow foreign ministers from across South America and raised them aloft.

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has suggested Mr Assange could co-operate with Sweden if assurances are given that there would be no extradition to a third country. On Sunday, Mr Assange, 41, used his first public statement since entering the embassy to claim asylum - delivered from a balcony - to call on the US to stop its "war on whistle-blowers". The US is carrying out an investigation into Wikileaks, which has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables, embarrassing several governments and international businesses. In 2010, the two female Wikileaks supporters accused Mr Assange, an Australian citizen, of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture. He claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated. Assange sees year in embassy - ITV News 19 June 2012 at 7:46pm Assange sees year in embassy WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has told Ecuadorian television he expects to wait up to a year for a deal to allow him to walk free from the country's embassy in London. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has said the United Kingdom would be committing diplomatic suicide if it tried to enter his country's embassy in London to arrest Julian Assange.

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa Credit: Reuters Speaking on state television, Mr Correa said: "It would be a suicide for the United Kingdom to enter the Ecuadorian Embassy. "It will be a precedent that would allow later on for the diplomatic premises of this country [the UK] in other territories to be violated in every corner of the planet." South America condemns Britain and backs Ecuador over Assange South America's foreign ministers have met in Ecuador to discuss the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. They condemned Britain's threat to forcibly enter the Ecuadorean embassy in London: We would to express our solidarity and our support for the government of Ecuador in the face of the threats made by the UK against the building that shelters its diplomatic mission. We reiterate the right of any state to grant asylum. We condemn the threat of using force from one state to another as well as reminding everybody of the full validity of the principles gathered by international laws, the respect of each state's sovereignty and the respect of all international treaties. – Ali Rodriguez, Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations Before Julian Assange came out onto the Ecuadorian embassy's ground-floor balcony, well-known supporters gave speeches in front of the media.

Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan and whistleblower on the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" programme, said: Even during the height of the tensions of the Cold War, the opposing parties never entered each other's embassies to abduct a dissident. The fact that William Hague openly threatened the Ecuadorians with the invasion of their sovereign premises is one further example of the total abandonment of the very concept of international law by the neo-conservative juntas that are currently ruling the former Western democracies. Julian Assange can stay in embassy for 'centuries', says Ecuador | Media | The Guardian Julian Assange can stay in embassy for 'centuries', says Ecuador Britain should withdraw 'threat' to storm building in Knightsbridge, say Ecuadorean officials Police officers enter the building containing the Ecuadorean embassy – where Julian Assange has been staying – on Tuesday.

Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images Thursday 23 August 2012 13.27 EDT First published on Thursday 23 August 2012 13.27 EDT Close This article is 4 years old Ecuadorean officials have said that Britain should renounce its "threat" to storm the country's London embassy, and that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could remain inside the building for as long as he wanted – "two centuries" if necessary. The officials said there had been no contact with the Foreign Office since last Thursday, when Ecuador's president Rafael Correa announced he was granting Assange asylum. Ecuador was keen to resume negotiations with the UK, the officials said, but added that William Hague should now take back a threat to enter the embassy as "an indication of good faith". Ecuadorean diplomatic sources also insisted there had been no secret deal to grant Assange asylum. They said Assange simply turned up at the front door two months ago at midday and rang the bell. The Ecuadorean ambassador, Ana Alban, was forced to dash home to fetch a blow-up mattress for Assange to sleep on. Since he took up residence, the embassy had got a bigger fridge, the sources said.

The UK last week gave a written warning to Quito saying that it could invoke the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 to arrest Assange inside the Knightsbridge embassy. This prompted a furious response from Quito. Hague later clarified that the FCO was not threatening to "storm an embassy". On Thursday, however, an Ecuadorean diplomatic source said: "The threat hasn't been withdrawn." The source suggested that the police presence around the building was excessive, with the embassy under siege at one point last week and still surrounded by dozens of policemen now. "It was amazing. There used to be four or six policemen since Mr Assange got here. Suddenly there were three trucks of police surrounding us. There were police on the interior stairs. There was even one in the window of the toilet. It was clearly a message." Ecuadorean officials said they still believed a compromise over the Assange case was possible. They said Sweden and the UK should give political assurances that the WikiLeaks founder, who faces allegations of sexual misconduct in Sweden, would not be re-extradited from there to the US. Failing that, they said Britain should grant him safe passage so he could fly to Ecuador.

There seems little prospect that the UK will agree to this. The Foreign Office says it is legally obliged to extradite Assange to Sweden. Both sides now appear to be settling in for the long haul. Asked how long Assange might remain at the embassy, an Ecuadorean official said: "However long it takes. Eight years. Two centuries." The official said it was ridiculous to suggest diplomats would try to smuggle him out. On Thursday the FCO said in a statement: "We have made clear we are committed to a diplomatic solution. "We will be sending a formal communication today to the Ecuadorean embassy. We will not go into the detail of private discussions." On Wednesday the news agency Reuters, citing US government sources, said Washington had issued no criminal charges against Assange. His supporters claim the US is plotting to extradite and to execute him. Obama administration officials remain divided over the wisdom of prosecuting Assange, Reuters said, and the likelihood of US criminal charges against him is probably receding rather than growing. On Friday foreign ministers from across Latin America will meet in Washington to discuss the Assange case.

A draft resolution from the Organisation of American States calls on the UK to comply with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and to respect the "inviolability" of the Ecuadorean embassy. The Foreign Office has been lobbying South American states to abstain. On Thursday, however, one Ecuadorean official predicted the FCO's efforts were doomed, adding: "Most Latin American countries are working as one [on this]." On Sunday Assange made his first public appearance since walking into the embassy in June, addressing crowds of journalists and supporters from a first-floor balcony window, with Metropolitan police officers a few feet below him on the pavement. He called on President Obama to abandon his alleged "witch-hunt" against WikiLeaks. Assange also thanked several other Latin American countries for their support – implicitly warning Britain that any dispute with Ecuador could rapidly snowball into a conflict with the entire region. He said nothing about allegations by two Swedish women that he sexually assaulted them. TodayOn Thursday Ecuadorean officials denied that it had been a provocative move to allow Assange to use embassy property to berate the United States. "It was the balcony or a window," one said. "He had to deliver a message.

A lot of people were wanting to know what he looked like. They wanted an image. It had political value." The officials also shrugged off criticism of Ecuador's record on press freedom, which has come under increasing scrutiny since Assange sought asylum. "Walk around the streets of Quito, hear the radio and watch TV, and see what some journalists say about the government. There is a lot of freedom," one source said. Scotland Yard has declined to comment on the policing operation at the embassy, while the FCO has said the letter sent to Ecuadorean authorities on Wednesday of last week was not menacing and that the rights of the country's officials would continue to be respected by the government. mflx The son, the saviour, the fugitive, the friend, the man.

He also has an odd craving for Vegemite Published: 24 Aug 2012 Senior officials from the 34-member Organisation of American States urge two sides to maintain dialogue to resolve row Published: 25 Aug 2012 President defends granting Julian Assange asylum and compares domestic press crackdown to Leveson inquiry Published: 24 Aug 2012 Ecuador's president says Julian Assange is being treated with double standards by countries that want to 'crush him' Published: 24 Aug 2012 WikiLeaks founder seeks asylum at Ecuador embassy WikiLeaks founder seeks asylum at Ecuador embassy GONZALO SOLANO, RAPHAEL SATTER and SYLVIA HUI Share View photos FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2012 file photo, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder, arrives at the Supreme Court in London. On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino announced in Quito that Assange is seeking asylum at Ecuador's embassy in London, and that Ecuador's government is studying the request.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) More LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange has made a run for the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, seeking asylum in a long shot move that, if successful, would place him in a small, friendly South American country rather than in Sweden facing questioning about alleged sex crimes. Tuesday's unexpected caper has added a new and bizarre twist to Assange's increasingly desperate bid to avoid extradition to Scandinavia. Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said the leftist government of President Rafael Correa — an administration often at odds with Washington — was weighing the request, although he did not indicate when a decision might be made. Assange said in a brief statement that he was grateful "to the Ecuadorean ambassador and the government of Ecuador for considering my application." Assange's legal options in the U.K. had almost completely run out. Less than a week ago Britain's Supreme Court re-endorsed its decision to allow the 40-year-old's extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted over sex crimes allegations. The accusations — which stem from Assange's trip to the country in mid-2010 — have cast a cloud over his online organization's spectacular leaks of U.S.

military, diplomatic, and intelligence material. Ecuador — where less than one in three people have access to the Web — may seem an unlikely place for the former computer hacker to seek refuge, but in many ways it's an obvious choice. "It's one of the few countries that has given a great opening to Assange's entire cause," said Grace Jaramillo, an international relations professor at Ecuador's FLACSO university. "Correa sees Assange as a critic of the status quo," he said. "He has been challenging the United States and Correa likes that." Assange argues that extradition to Sweden is a first step in efforts to remove him to the United States, where he claims to have been secretly indicted over his disclosure of 250,000 State Department cables. He has spent the better part of two years fighting the move through the British courts. But legal experts said Assange's flight to the Ecuadorean embassy was a desperate one. U.K. extradition specialist Karen Todner said she couldn't make sense of the move, while Michael Scharf, based at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, said he didn't believe Assange could be given asylum status.

"I think they are going to end up asking him to leave the premises," said Scharf. Ecuador's mission in London said in a statement that Assange would "remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorean government," while his application was considered. Britain's foreign ministry said it was working with Ecuadorean authorities to resolve the situation, but gave few other details. Aside from Assange's brief statement, WikiLeaks did not elaborate on its leader's plans. Nearly a dozen calls, texts and emails seeking further comment from WikiLeaks and its staff weren't returned. Patino, speaking at a news conference in Quito, the Ecuadorean capital, gave the fullest account of Assange's reasoning, saying he had personally written to Correa to ask for asylum. Assange, who is Australian, had argued that "the authorities in his country will not defend his minimum guarantees before any government or ignore the obligation to protect a politically persecuted citizen." Patino said. That may be a reference to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who last month said that her country could not protect Assange from other countries' justice systems. Ecuador has made friendly noises about Assange in the past.

In the November 2010, at the height of the media storm over WikiLeaks' disclosures, its government appeared to offer him sanctuary, and on Assange's newly-launched television talk show — which interviewed Correa via videolink earlier this year — the pair swapped jokes and messages of encouragement. It was during the interview that Assange received an offer of asylum, according to a woman who was present during the shows and familiar with the offer. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media. It was not immediately clear if the offer came directly from the president himself, although at one point Correa saluted WikiLeaks and told Assange to take courage. Read More "Welcome to the club of those who are persecuted!" said Correa, whose government has been assailed by human rights and press freedom activists for using Ecuador's criminal libel law in sympathetic courts against journalists from the country's biggest newspaper, El Universo. Assange and his allies had been in discussions over a possible attempt to seek sanctuary in Ecuador since last weekend, according to a person familiar with the matter.

"His concern was that once he arrived in Sweden he would be held in custody and would not have a chance to seek sanctuary again," the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. The person claimed that Assange had explained his reasons for seeking sanctuary to those who put up bail, but Jemima Khan, a celebrity journalist who supports Assange, said she was caught off guard by the news. "I had expected him to face the allegations," she said in a message posted to Twitter. "I am as surprised as anyone by this." It wasn't immediately clear whether the escape to the Ecuadorean Embassy would invalidate Assange's strict bail conditions, or whether the 200,000 pounds (roughly $315,000) put up by his supporters would be forfeited. British officials declined to say whether Assange had skipped bail or whether they were now seeking his arrest. Assange will be free from U.K. authorities so long as he remains at the Ecuadorean Embassy, but it's unclear how he could hope to get from the mission, based in London's wealthy Knightsbridge neighborhood, to Ecuador itself.

The embassy's buzzer rang unanswered Tuesday, although several times an unidentified figure peeked out from behind the curtain to look at reporters clustered around the building's entrance. At one point two men emerged from the building; neither addressed the assembled media, but one bore a folio entitled "Diplomatic Law." Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer representing the two Swedish women with claims against Assange, told Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter late Tuesday that Assange's latest move was a delaying tactic. "It's tragic for the two clients that I represent," he was quoted as saying. "I can't imagine that this will lead anywhere." ___ Solano reported from Quito, Ecuador. Associated Press writers Frank Bajak in Lima, Peru, Paisley Dodds in London, and Louise Nordstrom in Stockholm, Sweden, contributed to this report.

Reblog Julian Assange is granted asylum by Ecuador as scuffles break out | Daily Mail Online Julian Assange will not be given safe passage out of UK, warns Hague as WikiLeaks founder is granted asylum by Ecuador Foreign Secretary: Diplomatic immunity should not be used to harbour alleged criminals Ecuador grants refuge to Mr Assange as the UK, US and Sweden could not guarantee he would not be extradited Mr Assange thanks Ecuador, not Britain, for saving him from persecution Protesters gather outside Ecuadorian embassy and two are arrested Ecuadorian foreign minister releases 'threatening' letter sent by UK Govt British officials warn Ecuador there will be 'serious implications' for their diplomatic relations if they do not hand over WikiLeaks founder Ecuador grants asylum to WikiLeaks' Julian Assange – USATODAY.com Enlarge Close By Sang Tan, AP British police officers arrest a protester supporting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Thursday. Sponsored Links Assange will be arrested if he attempts to leave the embassy, British authorities said. He sought refuge June 19 in the Ecuadorean Embassy after exhausting his legal options to block extradition to Sweden where he faces sex-assault charges. Sweden has sought his extradition since 2010.

Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said he feared that Assange would be unable to get a fair hearing in Sweden and that Sweden would ultimately extradite Assange to the U.S. , where he could be arrested and tried for publishing classified material on WikiLeaks. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the Justice Department has a criminal investigation into WikiLeaks' disclosure of diplomatic communication. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt rejected Patino's accusation Thursday. "Our firm legal and constitutional system guarantees the rights of each and everyone," Bildt said on his Twitter feed. Taking diplomatic cover •Nicaraguan President Leonardo Arguello Barreto spent six months in Mexico’s Managua mission in 1947 after he was ousted by Anastasio Somoza. He negotiated an exile in Mexico. • Roman Catholic Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty, an outspoken anti-Communist activist, spent 15 years in the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, until 1971, when diplomats negotiated an exile in Austria. • Fang Lizhi, a protester who challenged Chinese communists in Tiananmen Square in 1989, sought refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

He remained there a year until the U.S. negotiated his release to the United States . • Panamanian President Manual Noriega spent a month in the Vatican embassy in Panama City after the U.S. invasion in 1989. He was eventually arrested by U.S. forces. •Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been living in the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur since June 29, 2008, when he was charged with sodomy. By Donna Leinwand British Foreign Minister William Hague said he was "disappointed" that Ecuador offered Assange asylum. Should Assange leave the embassy, British authorities will arrest him and extradite him to Sweden, Hague said. "We will not allow Mr. Assange safe passage out of the U.K. ," Hague said. "The U.K. does not accept the principle of diplomatic asylum." Hague said British authorities met with Ecuadorean officials seven times since June 19, when Assange entered the embassy, but they were unable to reach a diplomatic resolution.

Analysts say Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa , an American-educated economist with leftist leanings, saw this as an opportunity to stand up to the United States and Britain in an effort to raise his international profile and win support at home. Correa has close ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who has been at odds with the United States. "There are presidential elections next year, and it will benefit Correa, given that he can stir nationalism," said Carlos Cárdenas, deputy head of Latin American forecasting for the London-based risk consultancy Exclusive Analysis. "Both Correa and Assange share the same ideological worldview." Ecuador, which uses the U.S. dollar as its currency, once had a solid relationship with the United States, but that goodwill deteriorated after Correa was elected in 2006, said historian Ilán Semo of the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City. Correa refused to continue allowing the United States to operate an airbase for anti-narcotics flights in Ecuador. Despite Correa's defense of Assange, his government has been criticized for restrictions on free speech. A constitution passed in 2008 gave the government expanded authority over the media.

"He's been going through a systematic assault on the big media companies in the country," said Joel Hirst, an analyst at the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas. "It's brilliant on Correa's part," Hirst said. "You go after media who are opposed to you at home. Internationally, you buy support by giving Assange asylum in Ecuador." Assange has been accused of sexual assault in connection with claims from two women he met on a trip to Sweden. The women accuse him in separate cases of molestation and rape, and Swedish authorities have sought his extradition since late 2010. Assange has denied the accusations. Contributing: The Associated Press; Leinwand Leger reported from Washington. For more information about reprints & permissions , visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com . Posted | Updated USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment.

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Question: Which country gave diplomatic asylum/refuge to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in 2012?
Answer: Ecuador