Assange awaiting decision from Ecuador’s president
WIKILeAKS founder Julian Assange spent a second night at the ecuadorian embassy in London.
The 40-year-old Australian has been inside the building in Knightsbridge since Tuesday afternoon, when he went there to request political asylum under the United Nations Human Rights Declaration.
ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, was expected to make a decision on Mr Assange’s application by the end of yesterday. Mr Assange faces arrest for breaching the terms of his bail if he leaves the ecuadorian embassy.
The South American country, whose UK ambassador Anna Alban met the government on Wednesday morning, says he is under its protection while it considers the application, which comes after his failed bid to avoid extradition to Sweden under a european arrest warrant to face sex crime allegations.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) confirmed in a statement that he was “beyond the reach of the police” while he remains in the building.
“I welcome the statement from the UK government in which they stated that they would work with the ecuadorian government to find a resolution,” said Ms Alban.
“I also took the opportunity to explain that the decision on Mr Assange’s application would be assessed by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Quito and would take into account ecuador’s long and well established tradition in supporting human rights.
“I also emphasised to the UK government that it was not the intention of the ecuadorian government to interfere with the processes of either the UK or Swedish governments.”