Ecuador grants asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
Posted August 16, 2012 6:41 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LONDON, ENGLAND (NEWS1130) – Ecuador says it is granting asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a decision that has thrilled supporters but will do little to defuse the standoff at the Latin American nation’s London embassy, where the Australian ex-hacker has been holed up for almost two months.
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino says Ecuador believed Assange faced a real threat of political persecution, including the prospect of extradition to the United States, where Patino argues the head of the secret-spilling website would not get a fair trial.
“It is not impossible that he would be treated in a cruel manner, condemned to life in prison, or even the death penalty,” Patino tells journalists in Quito, the Ecuadorean capital. “Ecuador is convinced that his procedural rights have been violated.”
Britain’s Foreign Office says it was disappointed by the decision, but that it still plans to fulfill its legal obligation to extradite Assange to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault charges.
Assange shot to prominence after WikiLeaks repeatedly released huge troves of US secret documents, moves which have outraged Americans and led to calls from American politicians to have him hunted down like a terrorist.
He is wanted in Sweden for questioning on charges of sexual misconduct, but supporters fear the Scandinavian extradition effort is the opening gambit in a Washington-orchestrated bid to make him stand trial in the United States.
Swedish officials and the two women who have accused Assange have denied that the extradition bid is politically motivated. Director of Public Prosecution Marianne Ny declined to comment on the asylum decision, saying the issue was a matter for Britain.
Ecuador’s decision heartened supporters. There was a cheer outside the Ecuadorean Embassy when the decision was announced. But the decision isn’t likely to have much practical effect on Assange’s current status.
He remains in the modest embassy building, where he has been staying since June 19, and British authorities have pledged to arrest him if he leaves. Swedish authorities say their investigation remains ongoing.
