Julian Assange granted asylum by Ecuador

WISE Up Action | 16.08.2012 14:00 | Repression | Terror War

In a strongly worded statement today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador, Ricardo Patiño Aroca has announced that Julian's request for asylum has been granted.

Activists, some of whom have been maintaining a daily vigil since 19 June when Julian entered the embassy seeking asylum gathered in numbers last night after a threat by the British government to violate the embassy and seize Julian. Much larger numbers gathered this morning in the run up to the announcement which was made in Quito between 1 and 2pm BST (early morning there).

The full text in Spanish is here:

http://www.mmrree.gob.ec/2012/com042.asp

There will no doubt be a translation soon.

The statement included these comments (jotted down from the simultaneous interpretation and not all verbatim):

13:40 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador, Ricardo Patiño Aroca has announced that Julian's request for asylum has been granted.

13:39 There is a risk he will be persecuted. We trust that the UK will offer the nec. guarantees so that both governments can act adequately and properly in respecting international rights and rights of asylum and hope excellent relations between both countries will remain intact.

13:38 US cannot give any info about Assange case. Ecuadorian government will protect Assange and has decided to grant asylum to him as per his request in June 2012 in a written document

13:35 Ecuador made it clear to Sweden, wanted to facilitate an interview. Sweden didn't accept the proposal. Ec requested warranties from Sweden to ensure no extradition to US. Sweden refused to give these.

13:31 there is a right not to be extradited - the protection is there.

13:30 Asylum overrides any other local regulations that are opposed to this. No local law can be used to deny the right to asylum to any person.

13:29 Asylum is a privilege that is fundamental and should be recognised by all states

13:25 Ecuador accepts US would not respect Assange's rights. If he goes to jail in Sweden, fear of extradition to US is real.

13:23 detailing Julian Assange's work and risks to his life posed by extradition risk and that he would not get fair trial and his human rights would be violated

WISE Up Action
Homepage: http://wiseupaction.info

Comments

Hide 3 hidden comments or hide all comments

Update

16.08.2012 14:15

The UK government has threatened to revoke the embassy status of the Ecuadorian Embassy so they can arrest Assange and deport him to Sweden by force.

If this happens, we know where we stand. There are no laws to protect us so ignore them all. Fight fire with fire.

anox

Look here, look there, look everywhere...else!

16.08.2012 14:34

Actually, this is quite fascinating as soap opera goes.

The Equadorians have outflanked the UK government very well, well played sirs.

Its obvious the Equadorians looked strongly like they were going to grant asylum to Assange and last night the UK government threw the towel in and decided to get some retaliation in first. So they decided to announce all this nonsense about nullifying the Equadorian embassies status as a diplomatic mission. Obviously that hasn't worked and British efforts to informally uphold US law in a place it has no jurisdiction has failed miserably.

I wonder if this is the result of the US financial regulator in New York just ripping Standard Chartered Bank off for $340,000,000 on trumped up accusations that Standard Chartered was money laundering for the Iranians? Maybe, but maybe not. These 'conspiracies' don't exist in the dumbarse world of the internet but of course they do exist in the world of politics.

Whatever the case, once again we can see the American government looking very stupid and badly isolated.

I think we can say that UK/US relations are in a very bad state.

Odd then, that they are both still fighting together in Afghanistan!

Has anybody noticed that when terrible things happen in Afghanistan...some drama immediately coincides with it somewhere else?

Exactly who is this Assange fellow...and why is it that the entire US, UK and Swedish governments become so dependably clumsy in his midst?

Today

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/16/afghanistan-helicopter-crash-kills-11

Yesterday

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/08/15/afghanistan-bombing.html

The day before

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/world/asia/suicide-attackers-kill-at-least-29-in-afghan-bazaar.html

Wise man.

Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Some legal facts in reply from the ill informed above

16.08.2012 15:41

Although many are trying to push the idea that the Americans are behind this (makes a change from the Israelis who it seems most IM contributors are convinced run the world) in reality the US would prefer Assange remained in the UK as extradition from Britain is far easier for them than it is from Sweden.

As a former ambassador to Uzbekistan and career diplomat I would have assumed that Craig Murray would have known rather more about diplomatic law although his writing on this issue suggests otherwise, perhaps that is why is was "allowed to resign" from the service.

Craig Murray wrote on this issue,

"This will be, beyond any argument, a blatant breach of the Vienna Convention of 1961"

No it will not - the Convention allows for exactly these circumstances under section V, sub section 3 where an individual from a country may be arrested in another countries embassy if a serious offence has taken place. The only individuals protected under the Convention are consular officials. There are many precedents for arrests of these kinds:

March 1953 - French police arrest bank robber who was hiding in Mexican embassy
August 1974 - Columbian police arrest drug dealer in German embassy
December 1976 - US police arrest child murderer in Australian embassy
October 1984 - British police arrest Algerian terrorist in French embassy.

I have other examples

Ian Sharp - lawyer

Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

Look here, look there, or look at the facts

16.08.2012 15:54

Actually, this is quite fascinating.

>>>Trying getting out more

The Equadorians have outflanked the UK government very well, well played sirs.

>>> This would be the same Ecuadorian so committed to free speech that they routinely imprison journalists for writing articles critical of the government. That likely killed a union leader for highliting human rights abuses, that fixed the Presidential election

British efforts to informally uphold US law in a place it has no jurisdiction has failed miserably.

>>> Do keep up, the British government is responding to an international arrest warrent issued by SWEDEN, where Assange is wanted in connection with two alleged rapes.

I wonder if this is the result of the US financial regulator in New York just ripping Standard Chartered Bank off for $340,000,000 on trumped up accusations that Standard Chartered was money laundering for the Iranians? Maybe, but maybe not.

>>>> I wonder if it is connected to the Big Brother house, either scenario is about a likely.

Whatever the case, once again we can see the American government looking very stupid and badly isolated.

>>>> SIGH - At least pretend to understand what is going on - HE IS WANTED BY SWEDEN

I think we can say that UK/US relations are in a very bad state.

>>>> I think we can say all sorts of things, doesn't make them true

Odd then, that they are both still fighting together in Afghanistan!

>>> Only "odd" to you, others with more brains understand why

Exactly who is this Assange fellow...

>>> a failed journalist and talk-show host who is very likely a rapist.

wider man

Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

@Ian Sharp

16.08.2012 16:10

Mr Sharp - presumably, you have heard of the following case then?

http://www.hrw.org/news/2006/11/09/sweden-violated-torture-ban-cia-rendition

Sweden have a particularly shitty reputation when it comes to extradition. Just use Google.

These are justifiable reasons to seek asylum.

anonx

Intriguing comment from John Young/Cryptome

16.08.2012 16:10

Hypnotised

@Hypnotised

16.08.2012 16:15

Interesting theory.

It would be amusing if they did enter the embassy (via whichever means they find) and did not find him there.

anonx

@hypnotised

16.08.2012 16:24

"Still only hearsay that Assange is inside a windowless hovel in the EC embassy or ever was. No pix, comms proxied, disguised lam. Maybe under cover in EC or VE or returned to his AU roots tapped into the Echelon big pipes of Pine Gap."

Yes of course, so the police should go in and find out without a moments hesitation. If it all goes wrong then its obviously a mistake on the part of some hapless plod who no doubt will be dragged before the Equadorians as a patsy apologist.

NEXT!

anonymous

never mind

16.08.2012 19:20

never mind the fact he almost certainly raped two wikileaks activists. never mind the damage he has done to wikileaks. never mind that he would actually be more vulnerable to being extradited to the US from right here in the UK than he would be in sweden.

he is our god and our leader so we offer our blind support.

hmm

great

16.08.2012 20:14

That's great - so now can we also do a mass call-out to support all the other asylum-seekers rotting in hostels and detention centres? People who aren't white middle-class wankers?

anon

Theres no need for the Jury to retire

16.08.2012 21:04

"he almost certainly raped two wikileaks activists."

Yes I remember his conviction. Oh wait, no I remember him being charged, oh hang on, I certainly remember the Swedes taking up the offer to interview him.

The left marching towards another nasty fucked up world but feeling ever so smug about it.

Just one minute worm your honour, him and me alone

racist

16.08.2012 21:13

That's great - so now can we also do a mass call-out to support all the other asylum-seekers rotting in hostels and detention centres? People who aren't white middle-class wankers

Errr.. fuck off you racist. I'm white and middle-class. It was the way i was born. If you have got a problem with that then i suggest you are on the wrong site.

@Si

17.08.2012 06:54

There's nothing racist about pointing out the inherent priviledge in being white and middle-class. Do you imagine this guy would have had one tenth of the support he has if he'd been black and poor? Now get over yourself and admit to the third description of also being a wanker.

anon

oh really?

17.08.2012 07:11

It is. If you are being derogatory about people based on their colour - then it is racist.
What you are suggesting is that all white people are "privileged" which is a pile of nonsense.
Many of the richest people in the world are non-white. Walk around london, and you will find plenty of non-white people driving around in luxury cars.

As a racist - it may surprise you to know, that not all us white people are "wankers", in the same way that not all arab people are terrorists, and not all black people are thieves.

This isn't rocket science - I'm surprised it needs pointing out on this site but i guess racists come in all shapes and colours.

But i get a suspicion that "white people" are not welcome on indymedia sometimes.

black

17.08.2012 07:18

>> Do you imagine this guy would have had one tenth of the support he has if he'd been black and poor? Now get over yourself and admit to the third description of also being a wank

lol! are your serious?
i think it is about who he is and what he has done (wikileaks) rather than his skin colour
nelson mandela was black and he got lots of support. more than this guy - therefore your statement is clearly false. In fact, if he was black he would have more support.

anon

racism?

17.08.2012 07:41

I think if he was black and from a poor background then he would probably have a lot more support, certainly from the general public. The fact that he looks the way he does and talks the way he does, is a disadvantage to him in winning support.
Imagine a poor black guy in his position, it would be very difficult for the 'authorities' to portray him as this sinister sleazy guy. Obviously though poor black people don't have the same opportunities to become internet whistle blowers do they? That is not JA's fault! Lets support him, in the absence of a better blacker poorer whistle blower, and lets not forget about poor little bradley rotting in a cell with scary steroid pumped americans shouting at him.
AND of course lets not forget about all the other poor black or brown (or white) asylum seekers..... but to not support JA simply because he is white would certainly be racist!

terry venables

Ecuador is not a former colony!

17.08.2012 10:37

I don't believe a word that he raped the Swedes.I saw their interviews and you can tell clearly if you read between the lines that it's all made up in order to extradite him to a third country.And we all know why!He "dared" to use the right of press freedom!What is happening is quite interesting:will the old Empire "invade" the embassy of Ecuador?I think many Latin American countries say "Hands off Ecuador,we don't accept any threats!"Latin America might not be a democracy but we can all see that Western countries are neither role models of democracy or free speech.Now Ecuador might ask support from the Security Council if the old Empire decides to "invade" the small independent fearless Ecuador.God knows what will happen then!

Lily

IMC gives birth.

17.08.2012 11:41

Its pretty obvious that in the UK there are people jumping all over this thing with Julian Assange to disseminate their own political agendas.

I've not seen so much as a single news report anywhere on TV or in print that has not omitted or slanted their output in order to selectively tell half truths. Its kinda really sad and depressing that in a place where freedom of speech is so prized, that so many lies and distortions run riot without any checks or balances. Within this is preserved the idea that justice somehow has gone wanting.

Not for the first time have the rights of women been so squarely abused in service to politics and the political agendas.

Julian Assange is a whistleblower...fact. He was accused of sexual assault by two women feminists after they both invited him to consensual sex with them...fact. He has not been charged with any offence...fact. He has been subjected to death threats and demands for his assassination disseminated live on US media by so called democratic representatives of the American people...fact. He is telling a story neither the US and UK governments want told...fact. And he has told this story through the voices of those the US and UK governments repeatedly demand remain silent...fact. Without Wikileaks, your understanding of the criminal underworld of the US and UK energy cartels would be in accordance with the wishes of those same governments that operate those cartels.

What a deeply miserable place the UK has become that so many brazen lies and half truths can wander about so freely and without challenge.

We are seeing once again the most prized possession of the UK cartel being used to stifle our freedoms.

Are you protesting about genocide? Fine but we are going to beat your brains in for standing on the grass.

Are you protesting about the war dead? Fine but we'll beat your brains in for blocking the traffic.

Are you protesting about a police state? Fine, but we'll beat your brains in for standing in a place that you dont have permission to.

Are you protesting about the right to live together in your own community? Fine but we'll beat your brains in for not seeking planning permission first.

The English have managed to weaponise pedantry and the lowest and pettiest of their laws and are waging war with them.

Julian Assange represents something very major and very important. And the UK government mean to use pedantry and the pettiest of their laws to kill him and his supporters off.

This equates to strength. The strength of the British state. The strength that governs you and makes you servant to the political ambitions of your servants.

This does not in any way constitute your personal or collective freedom.

You are already living the nightmare that you forewarned others against.

Certificated storytellers!

@Certificated storytellers!

17.08.2012 12:44

I think you pretty much nailed it.

However, don't underestimate the individuals who /are/ changing stuff and removing that nightmare vision piece by piece.

The idiots on the streets waving signs on sticks or the tented occupiers are doing nothing other than supporting the media's ability to twist public opinion.

The real people who are doing stuff are publishing immutable facts and information about organisations and government. They are working their way to it via the usual paths of cock sucking and back patting. When they get it, they post it to places like Wikileaks.

Standing on the outside looking in is not a viable position - it solves nothing.

Standing on the inside looking in is.

People need to pack up their tents, chuck their signs, get an education and a job and be prepared to take a bullet if you want to make a difference.

anox

Get your facts straight

25.08.2012 17:44

Assange is not wanted for 'questioning', he is wanted for arrest by the Swedes - and for all you people saying why has he not been charged with any offence - he cannot be charged until he is arrested, which they currently cannot do while he is holed up in the Embassy building.

Case to answer

Hide 3 hidden comments or hide all comments