Ecuador foreign minister Ricardo Patino announced that the country was granting protection to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from outside danger, being feared of his extradition to US from Sweden to face alleged charges for leaking U.S. documents on WikiLeaks which lead to a continue diplomatic deadlock with London.
For two months, 41 year old Assange has been sought an unpleasant extradition situation to Sweden to face sexual crime charges and his political asylum by Ecuador shows that he is under the government protection, lead to a political move that could be taken by Britain.
“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,” Ricardo Patino told reporters.
Earlier, Britain threatened Ecuador to clarify his power under the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act, 1987 to make entry in Ecuador embassy and arrest the Australian national Assange if he is not handed over it, reports said. It termed Assange’s political asylum as a legal obligation, claiming that never affecting their legal positional power to extradite him.
According to Source as per WikiLeaks Tweet, on Sunday, Australian national, Assange will make a public statement in Ecuador Embassy where his arresting possibilities are high.
Meanwhile, a big crowd mostly Assange’s supporters came outside the Ecuador embassy protesting in support of Ecuador and Assange, however several have been arrested by the police forces.
“It is a matter between Mr Assange and the governments of Ecuador and the United Kingdom … And the court case that led to this affair arising in this fashion … is between Mr Assange and the government of Sweden,” Australian foreign minister Bob Carr told reporters.
