Ecuador has granted asylum
to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange two months after he took refuge in its
London embassy while fighting extradition from the UK on 16.08.2012.
It said his human rights
might be violated if he is sent to Sweden to be questioned over sex assault
claims.
Foreign Secretary William
Hague said the UK would not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the country
and the move was also criticised by Stockholm.
Ecuador said it would seek
to negotiate arrangements for Mr Assange to leave.
“We don’t think it is
reasonable that, after a sovereign government has made the decision of granting
political asylum, a citizen is forced to live in an embassy for a long period,”
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said.
Mr Assange took refuge at
the embassy in June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning
over assault and rape claims, which he denies.
Mr Patino had accused the
UK of making an “open threat” to enter its embassy to arrest Mr Assange, an
Australian national.
Ecuador’s foreign minister
Ricardo Patino:
