Statist maggots: Julian Assange can be arrested in embassy, UK warns Ecuador

Ahead of decision on WikiLeaks founder's asylum claim, Quito accuses Britain of threat to trample international law

Statist maggots: Julian Assange can be arrested in embassy, UK warns Ecuador Julianassange008

The diplomatic and political minefield that is the fate of Julian Assange is expected to come a step closer to being traversed when Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, gives his decision on whether his country will grant the WikiLeaks' founder asylum around lunchtime on Thursday.

The decision – if it comes – will mark the end of a turbulent process that on Wednesday night saw Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, raging against perceived threats from Britain to "storm" the embassy and warning that such a "dangerous precedent" would be met with "appropriate responses in accordance with international law".

The dramatic development came two months after Assange suddenly walked into the embassy in a bid to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual assault.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Patiño released details of a letter he said was delivered through a British embassy official in Quito, the capital of the South American country.

The letter said: "You need to be aware that there is a legal base in the UK, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, that would allow us to take actions in order to arrest Mr Assange in the current premises of the embassy."

It added: "We need to reiterate that we consider the continued use of the diplomatic premises in this way incompatible with the Vienna convention and unsustainable and we have made clear the serious implications that this has for our diplomatic relations."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/16/julian-assange-ecuador-embassy-asylum?newsfeed=true

Ecuador grants asylum to WikiLeaks' Assange

THE Ecuadorian government last night announced it would grant the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange political asylum.

Statist maggots: Julian Assange can be arrested in embassy, UK warns Ecuador Art353ecuador300x0

But within minutes of the announcement the British government issued a statement saying the decision does not change its "binding obligation" to extradite him to Sweden.

The South American country's Foreign Affairs Minister, Ricardo Patino, told a news conference in Quito that should Assange be extradited from Britain to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning about allegations of rape and sexual assault, there was a "clear possibility" he could then be transferred to a third country.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/ecuador-grants-asylum-to-wikileaks-assange-20120817-24bwc.html#ixzz23muyqlqX

Statist maggots: Julian Assange can be arrested in embassy, UK warns Ecuador

Statist maggots: Julian Assange can be arrested in embassy, UK warns Ecuador

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