Legal News
Julian Assange seeks asylum in Ecuadorian embassy in London (20 June 2012)
Date: 20/06/2012
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange who was denied an appeal against his extradition to Sweden by the Supreme Court has sought political asylum at Ecuador’s London embassy the country’s foreign minister said.
The country is studying and analyzing the request, foreign minister Ricardo Patino told reporters in Quito.
The Foreign Office says it will work with Ecuador to resolve the situation.
Mr Assange could still take his case against extradition to the ECHR and has until 28 June to make the move, or extradition proceedings will begin.
Mr Assange is wanted by the Swedish prosecutors who want to question him over allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two female former Wikileaks volunteers in mid-2010 but has 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.
Ecuador's embassy said he had arrived there on Tuesday afternoon to seek asylum.
The embassy said that as a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights, with an obligation to review all applications for asylum, Ecuador was considering the application at the relevant department in Quito.
Meanwhile Mr Assange' would remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorian government.
Mr Assange has written to the President of Ecuador saying that he was being persecuted and that his country would not be defending his minimum guarantees before any government.
He added that he feared his extradition to a foreign country which applies death sentence for the crime of espionage and sedition.
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.
The Ecuadorian embassy has said that 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.