Assange seeks political asylum
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London seeking political asylum, sources told the Press Association.
A man speaking from the embassy said over the telephone that Mr Assange had arrived at the embassy today and was requesting political asylum.
Ecuador’s foreign minister Ricardo Patino also confirmed the Australian had taken refuge at its embassy and that the country’s Government was weighing up the request.
A message was posted on the Wikileaks Twitter account, saying: “ALERT: Julian Assange has requested political asylum and is under the protection of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.”
A second read: “We will have more details on the Ecuadorian situation soon.”
A statement issued on behalf of the embassy said: ``This afternoon Mr Julian Assange arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy seeking political asylum from the Ecuadorian government.
“As a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights, with an obligation to review all applications for asylum, we have immediately passed his application on to the relevant department in Quito.
“While the department assesses Mr Assange’s application, Mr Assange will remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorian Government.
“The decision to consider Mr Assange’s application for protective asylum should in no way be interpreted as the Government of Ecuador interfering in the judicial processes of either the United Kingdom or Sweden.”
Assange was on bail and living with friends before his extradition.
His move to claim asylum is the latest twist in a marathon legal battle played out in the glare of worldwide publicity.
Last November, the High Court upheld a ruling by District Judge Howard Riddle - sitting at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court, south London, the previous February - that the computer expert should be extradited to face investigation.
The High Court declared that it would not be unfair or unlawful to extradite Assange, a decision backed by the Supreme Court, which ruled by a 5-2 majority that his extradition was lawful and could go ahead.
He was given 14 days on May 30 to consider the Supreme Court judgment before making a final decision on his next move.
His lawyer, Dinah Rose QC, told the Supreme Court’s justices that Assange was considering an application for his case to be reopened on the basis that there had been a flawed hearing.
Assange had until June 28 to ask Strasbourg to consider his case on the basis that he has not had a fair hearing from the UK courts.
It would then have been for the European Court to decide whether or not to postpone extradition while another hearing goes ahead.
The court has the power to issue a direction to the UK Government that he should not be surrendered to Sweden if it decides to consider his claim.
