Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
BY JOHN O’CONNOR
ANCHOR JASMINE BAILEY
Ecuador’s government has announced it will grant diplomatic immunity to WikiLeaks’
founder Julian Assange. Here’s Sky News.
“The next question of course, will be how the Ecuadorian government get Julian Assange
out of this country and safely to Ecuador.”
Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in central London for more than 56
days — attempting to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of *** assault,
which he strongly denies.
CNN reports British foreign and commonwealth offices were disappointed with Ecuador’s
decision. In a response, the office told Ecuador the U.K. has a legal obligation to extradite
Mr. Assange to Sweden. They said quote "We shall carry out that obligation.”
A BBC correspondent reporting outside the embassy says British law enforcement went
even further, stating they will refuse Assange safe passage out of Britain should the Ecuadorians
request it.
“If he steps outside of this embassy, he will certain be arrested. And of course the
British have hinted that they might at some stage go into the embassy — set aside Ecuador’s
diplomatic immunity — and arrest him inside the building.”
The 41-year-old Assange gained international notoriety in 2010 when WikiLeaks published
a series of classified U.S. documents regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Wall Street Journal reports the WikiLeaks founder has long suspected the Swedish criminal
investigation is an international ploy to “speed his extradition to the U.S.” — where
he fears his life may be at risk for leaking classified information.
Without a clear way to get Assange a safe passage out of Britain, the Ecuadorian government
reports it is likely he will remain stuck in the London-based embassy.